[American Chemical Society](https://www.acs.org)

May 1, 2026 (Full application deadline)

$80,000 for a 12-month project; no overhead allowed; supports trainee salaries and lab supplies

Funds research advancing sustainable, industry-relevant materials using natural polymers via green chemistry and engineering.

Open to PIs at any university or small business worldwide; all IP must be dedicated to the public, royalty-free.

--- ## Description This grant, offered by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute Natural Polymers Consortium, supports innovative research aimed at accelerating the development of more sustainable functional materials using natural polymers. The program emphasizes green chemistry and engineering approaches, with a focus on industry relevance and practical impact, including improved sourcing, processing, and performance of natural polymers. The grant encourages projects that demonstrate potential for commercialization and require public dissemination of research results with open intellectual property. Only one grant is awarded per cycle. --- ## Due Dates - May 1, 2026: Full application deadline (proposals must be received by 11:59 p.m. EDT) - Notification of selection: September 15, 2026 (expected) - Project start: January 1, 2027 (expected) --- ## Funding Amount - One award of $80,000 for a 12-month research project - No institutional overhead/indirect costs allowed - Supports: - Salary and benefits for trainees (undergraduate, graduate students, postdocs) - Laboratory supplies and instrument use charges - Does not support: - PI salary supplements - Travel, equipment purchase/repair, administrative support, contractors, or consultants --- ## Eligibility - Open to Principal Investigators (PIs) at any U.S. or international university or comparable research institution, as well as researchers at startups or small businesses - Proposals must be approved by the applicant’s institutional grants office (or include a signed acknowledgement letter if no grants office exists) - Applicants may hold only one ACS GCI NPC research grant at a time --- ## Application Process 1. **Prepare a single PDF proposal** including: - Institutional and PI information - Project abstract (200 words) - Detailed plan of work (3 pages max, 12 pt font, 1-inch margins) covering research approach, preliminary life cycle analysis, industrial impact, commercialization potential, and trainee involvement - Budget and timeline (1 page) - CVs for project team members (2 pages each) - If applicable, a signed institutional acknowledgement letter 2. **Submit the proposal** via the [ACS Green Chemistry Institute Application Portal](https://gci.acs.org/) by May 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT 3. Proposals are reviewed by member companies for relevance, scientific merit, and industry applicability 4. Progress and final reports are required; results must be published within 6 months of project completion --- ## Additional Information - All patents arising from funded research must be dedicated to the public, royalty-free - Research results are expected to be published and disseminated publicly - The grant is intended as seed funding; PIs are encouraged to seek further support from other sources - Only one active grant per PI with ACS GCI NPC at a time --- ## External Links - [Program page & full details](https://www.acs.org/funding/grants/natural-polymers-consortium-research-grant.html) - [Application Portal](https://gci.acs.org/) - [Natural Polymers Consortium information](https://www.acs.org/green-chemistry-sustainability/industry-roundtables/natural-polymers.html) - [ACS Funding Opportunities](https://www.acs.org/funding.html) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Email | Phone | |------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------| | ACS GCI NPC Program | [gciroundtables@acs.org](mailto:gciroundtables@acs.org) | | | ACS Green Chemistry Institute | [gci@acs.org](mailto:gci@acs.org) | +1 202-872-6102, 1-800-227-5558 | For general ACS inquiries, see the [ACS contact page](https://www.acs.org/contact.html).

ACS GCI Natural Polymers Consortium Research Grant

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