ACS Petroleum Research Fund
ACS PRF grants fund fundamental research on petroleum, fossil fuels, and related materials, supporting new scientific directions with a focus on basic chemistry and student involvement.
Funder: American Chemical Society
Due Dates: September 14, 2026 (submission window opens) | October 9, 2026 (window closes) | February 15, 2027 (spring window opens) | March 12, 2027 (spring window closes)
Funding Amounts: Typical awards: $125,000 over 2 years (ND, DNI); $70,000 over 2 years (UR, UNI); ~75 ND grants awarded annually.
Summary: Supports fundamental research in petroleum, fossil fuels, and related materials through seed grants for new scientific directions at nonprofit institutions.
Key Information: Proposals must represent a new research direction for the PI and focus on fundamental, not applied, research.
Description
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) provides seed funding for fundamental research in areas directly related to petroleum, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands, and similar materials. The fund's mission is to stimulate new scientific directions in fundamental science, explicitly excluding applied research relevant to the petroleum industry. PRF grants are designed to support innovative research projects at nonprofit institutions worldwide, with a strong emphasis on student involvement and advanced scientific education. The fund also regularly updates its supported research areas to reflect scientific trends, including sustainability and green chemistry.
