New ACS Institute supports the broad chemistry community across the spectrum of learning

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2021 – The American Chemical Society (ACS) is pleased to announce the launch of the ACS Institute, a centralized portal with over 100 educational and training products and programs from across ACS. The material includes a new series of online courses offered by ACS Publications, the leading publisher in chemistry, as well as a suite of new courses from ACS Education.

Courses and programs offered by the ACS Institute will support a broad spectrum of learner needs, from foundational courses for undergraduate and graduate students to those aimed at extending the career experience and credentials of practicing educators and industry professionals. Programming from the ACS Leadership Institute, which prepares current and future leaders for success in the workplace and in volunteer leadership roles, is included and will complement ACS Education’s professional education program and the ACS Career Navigator offerings.

The goal of the ACS Institute is to offer courses that are essential to the development of any scientist yet may fall outside of the traditional academic curriculum or that are required to advance in one’s career. The ACS Institute combines a range of in-person courses taught by industry experts, which have historically been offered by ACS at national meetings and customer sites, with an expanding range of digitally delivered e-learning courses designed to support every area of a chemist’s career. Offering these courses under one portfolio will ease access for the global chemistry community, while offering a highly recognized and authoritative credential to learners and employers alike.

“Until now, scientists have accessed their professional development and continuing education resources from disparate sources. This has left many chemists without the resources necessary to advance their careers,” says James Milne, Ph.D., president, ACS Publications Division. “Developed for chemists by chemists, the ACS Institute will deliver a comprehensive learning suite of the highest-quality content, for which ACS is renowned, enabling individuals to truly learn, develop and excel.”

Learning centers included in the ACS Institute are organized around seven focus areas that align closely with ACS’ core values and areas of expertise, including:

• ACS Center for Lab Safety
• ACS Center for Scientific Communication
• ACS Center for Technical Skills Development
• ACS Center for Chemistry in Practice
• ACS Center for Leadership Development
• ACS Center for Professional Development
• ACS Center for Volunteer Development

“Through the ACS Education Division, the society has a long history in providing chemists with the education and development resources to not just succeed in their careers but to excel,” says LaTrease Garrison, executive vice president, ACS Membership and ACS Education. “This collaboration between ACS Education and ACS Publications will bring outstanding opportunities for chemists to reach new heights in their educational and professional development.”

All course content has been developed and rigorously peer-reviewed by leading subject matter experts. ACS used an extensive network of scientists, industry leaders and renowned editors of ACS Publications’ journals to create educational and training opportunities that will help learners build mastery, gain confidence and demonstrate competence. Similarly, institutions can use courses from the ACS Institute to ensure a scalable and uniform rollout of new learning programs while individually tracking student participation and comprehension.

The ACS Institute will be available on May 4, with new content added regularly, and is designed to be accessible to members of the chemistry community and beyond. A variety of delivery models will be supported, including in-person and on-demand training. Digital courses can be purchased individually or institutionally adopted and delivered through most learning management systems in use at university and corporate campuses.