National Awards

Yellow banner with blue and white text: The ACS National Awards: Advancing Chemistry, Supporting Research, and Promoting Chemists

The ACS National Awards program is designed to encourage the advancement of chemistry in all its branches, to support research in chemical science and in industry, and to promote the careers of chemists.


Nomination Information

Nominations are currently open for the 2027 National Awards.

    Nominations for the 2026 National Awards were accepted from July 1 to November 1, 2024. The winners will be announced in August 2025.

    2025 National Awards Hybrid Ceremony

    The 2025 National Awards Banquet and Ceremony, including remarks by the 2025 Priestley Medalist Dr. Frances H. Arnold, took place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in conjunction with ACS Spring 2025 in San Diego, CA as a hybrid event.


    2025 Priestley Medalist

    2024 Priestley Medalist Carolyn Bertozzi

    Frances H. Arnold, the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, is being recognized with the Priestley Medal, the American Chemical Society’s highest honor, for her contributions to the development of directed evolution. Arnold has spearheaded this method of chemical and biological design, which is now used in laboratories around the world to create enzymes that can churn out valuable molecules and accomplish chemistry that was once thought possible only with the use of purely chemical methods.


    Resources

    Prized Science (YouTube)
    This video series features the work and contributions of recipients who have won ACS prizes. Watch, listen, and discover how the chemistry behind their awards transforms our lives.

    Becoming Award Ready Webinar (YouTube)
    How do deserving and accomplished chemical scientists from diverse backgrounds become ACS award winners? This short presentation shares the key aspects of preparing for and creating a successful nomination package for an ACS National Award.

    National Awards Office Division Primer (PDF)
    This booklet provides ACS divisions with quick access to answers to questions regarding the selection and canvassing committee process and the National Awards Banquet and Ceremony, as well as information on how to nominate deserving individuals for the ACS National Awards.

    National Awards Advisory Board

    The National Awards Advisory Board (NAAB) oversees the ACS National Awards. Read more about the National Awards Advisory Board

     


    Contact icon

    Contact Us

    ACS National Awards Program
    American Chemical Society
    1155 16th Street NW | Washington, DC 20036
    Email: awards@acs.org