Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellowship in Organic Chemistry

Purpose

To recognize individuals for their outstanding achievements in the field of organic chemistry. This two-year postdoctoral fellowship will provide intellectual and academic freedom to early-career postdoctoral researchers. Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellows will develop bold and creative new research directions in organic chemistry that can contribute to a sustainable world. 

Description

The Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellowship (CPF) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is a two-year postdoctoral fellowship awarded yearly to Ph.D. candidates or postdoctoral researchers within their first two years of pursuing postdoctoral research in organic chemistry.

The Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellowship currently provides $85,000 per year for two years of research at a nonprofit institution in the U.S. Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to participate in ACS meetings, mentoring, and other career development activities.

Candidates are nominated by their research advisor or academic mentor (including, but not limited to, their Ph.D. advisor, postdoctoral advisor, or other research mentors). They are evaluated on their outstanding contributions to organic chemistry and their potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in organic chemistry. Applicants must be nominated to be considered for the CPF. 

Eligibility

The Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellowship provides two years of financial support for a scientist:

• Who has earned or will earn a doctoral degree in the chemical sciences by November 1 of the CPF selection year or within 24 months prior,
• Who wishes to conduct postdoctoral research in organic chemistry in the United States (U.S.) or in an U.S. territory,
• Who has demonstrated excellence in organic chemistry and the potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in organic chemistry, and
• Who has demonstrated commitment to mentoring and the potential to help advance inclusivity in research.
• Temporary U.S. residents, U.S. citizens, and U.S. green card holders are eligible to be nominated and to apply.

The award will be granted regardless of race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, presence of disabilities, and educational background.

Deadlines

Nomination: Nominations for 2026 cycle will open in January 2026.

Applications: Applications are closed for 2025.

Nomination, Application, and Selection Process

Nominations by research or academic mentors are accepted by the first Tuesday in April every year. Nominated and eligible scientists will be invited by early May to submit a full application to ACS by the second Tuesday in July. Applications are reviewed and rated by a panel. During the competition year, all Cope Postdoctoral Fellows will be announced by late September and are expected to start their CPF by November 1. No reviewer comments will be shared with applicants or nominators. 

How to be Considered

Research and academic mentors, visit the Scholarship Lifecycle Manager to nominate a scientist. Only one nomination by the mentor is permitted per cycle.

A completed nomination package must include:

• Letter of nomination (outlining how the nominator knows the nominee, how the nominee made outstanding contributions to organic chemistry, and how the nominee has demonstrated potential to continue to become an inclusive leader in organic chemistry and beyond). Up to 800 words.
• CV of nominee.
• Up to five links to key publications, patents, or other evidence of excellence in organic chemistry.
• Name and email of one student mentee of the nominee and one departmental staff member who could provide references. (Individuals may be asked by ACS to complete a brief questionnaire about the nominee)

Eligible nominees will be invited to apply. Each application must include:

• Demographic information (incl. links to ORCID and LinkedIn profile)
• CV of applicant (including publications)
• Future Research Statement (up to 3 pages including figures. References are excluded from the 3-page limit)
• Career Impact Statement (up to 1 page). This statement must address the applicant’s
  • Future career goals
  • Contributions to mentoring efforts and to building inclusive environments
  • Career alignment with sustainability efforts (e.g. U.N. Sustainable Development Goals)
• Co-signed letter of support from postdoctoral advisor and chair of the department where postdoctoral research will be conducted.  

Submitting Your Nomination

1. Create an Account
   • Visit the Scholarship Lifecycle Manager and create an account.
2. Complete the Nomination Form
   • Once your account is set up, click "Apply" next to the Arthur C. Cope Postdoctoral Fellowship – Nomination Form to begin your nomination.
   • You will be required to provide:
     • The nominee's name, email, and LinkedIn profile link
     • A letter of nomination
     • The nominee's CV
     • Links or PDFs of supporting materials for the nomination
     • Contact information for two additional endorsers:
       • A student mentee of the nominee
       • A departmental staff member
3. Submit Your Nomination
   • Complete and submit the form by April 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST.
4. Nomination Review Process
   • Evaluators will review submissions for eligibility and merit.
5. Invitation to Apply
   • Eligible nominees will be notified by early May and invited to submit a full application to ACS by the second Tuesday in July.

About Arthur C. Cope

Cope, an extraordinarily influential and imaginative organic chemist, was born on June 27, 1909, in Dunreith, Indiana. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Butler University in Indianapolis in 1929, and a Ph.D. in 1932 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison under the guidance of S. M. McElvain. In 1933, Cope moved to Harvard University as a National Research Council Fellow under E. P. Kohler.

In 1934, Cope joined the faculty of Bryn Mawr College. There, he developed a commercial barbiturate known as Delvinyl Sodium. More importantly, Cope discovered a facile thermal [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of 1,5-dienes, which is now generally known as the "Cope rearrangement." In 1941, Cope moved to Columbia University where he worked on projects associated with the war effect including chemical warfare agents, antimalarial drugs, and treatments for mustard gas poisoning. Cope moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1945 to become the head of the Department of Chemistry.

In 1944, Cope received the coveted American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry for his discovery of the "Cope rearrangement." He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1947, and became president of the American Chemical Society in 1961.

Contact Information

Inquiries should be sent to: copepostdoc@acs.org