Elias J. Corey Award for Outstanding Original Contribution in Organic Synthesis by a Young Investigator
Elias J. Corey Award for Outstanding Original Contribution in Organic Synthesis by a Young Investigator honors young researchers for creative, useful work that advances synthetic organic chemistry.
This grant was recently updated
Experience since the terminal degree is now explicitly calculated using the nomination submission year, not the award presentation year, with gaps such as parental leave or sabbaticals taken into account. ACS also added supporters’ eligibility guidance and expanded grounds for rescinding awards to include conduct inconsistent with Society Core Values.
Funder: American Chemical Society
Due Dates: August 5, 2026 (Nominations open) | December 5, 2026 (Nomination deadline)
Funding Amounts: $10,000 and a certificate, plus up to $2,500 in reimbursed travel expenses
Summary: Recognizes a young investigator’s original, insightful research with significant impact on synthetic organic chemistry.
Key Information: Nominees must have less than 15 years of experience since their terminal degree, calculated in the nomination year.
Description
The American Chemical Society (ACS) presents this annual award to recognize original and insightful work by a young investigator that has significantly advanced synthetic organic chemistry. It honors completed research of exceptional merit, including novel and highly useful reagents, reactions, or catalytic processes that solve synthetic problems of considerable importance.
Special consideration goes to applications of novel chemistry in the synthesis of natural products and organic molecules of medicinal importance, and to discoveries of reactions or processes with broad utility. The award emphasizes both creativity and usefulness in advancing the field. Established by the ACS Board of Directors in 2002, it is supported by the Pfizer Endowment Fund, established with funding from Pfizer, Inc.
