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

November 15, 2026

$1,500 stipend per awardee; 8 recipients annually; supports ACS Fall Meeting expenses

Recognizes eight graduate students for research excellence and participation in the ACS Fall Meeting Women Chemists Committee/Merck symposium.

Awardees must present at the ACS Fall Meeting and participate in WCC/Merck events; prior recipients are ineligible.

--- ## Description The Merck Research Award, administered by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Women Chemists Committee, supports eight outstanding graduate students annually with a $1,500 stipend. The award is designed to recognize and encourage research excellence among women and gender-diverse graduate students in chemistry and related fields. Recipients are required to present their research at a dedicated WCC/Merck symposium during the ACS Fall Meeting and are honored at several networking and recognition events, including the Awards Symposium Reception, Women in the Chemical Enterprise Networking Breakfast, WCC ‘Just Cocktails’ reception, and the WCC Luncheon. --- ## Due Dates - November 15, 2026: Application deadline (full application submission for the Merck Research Award) --- ## Funding Amount - $1,500 stipend per awardee - 8 recipients selected annually - Funding is intended to offset expenses related to attendance and participation in the ACS Fall Meeting --- ## Eligibility - Open to graduate students in their third or fourth year of study - Research focus must be in one or more of the following areas: - Organic, Inorganic, Medicinal, Analytical, Chemical Biology, Computational or Structural Chemistry, or related disciplines - U.S. citizens (studying anywhere) and non-U.S. citizens enrolled in graduate programs in the U.S. or Canada are eligible - Previous recipients of this award are not eligible to apply again --- ## Application Process Applicants must submit the following materials by the deadline: - Resume or CV (including permanent address) - Brief cover letter (1 page) describing how the award will impact your career and your contributions to the WCC’s mission - Proposed abstract for the WCC/Merck Research Award Symposium - Advisor’s letter commenting on technical ability, potential, and confirming participation in the ACS Fall Meeting if selected Applications are submitted online via the [official ACS application portal](https://fs7.formsite.com/vatz5F/MerckResearch/index) (check for current application status). --- ## Additional Information - Awardees are required to present their research at the ACS Fall Meeting WCC/Merck symposium. - Recognition at multiple networking and professional development events is part of the award experience. - The award is sponsored by Merck and the ACS Committee on Women Chemists. --- ## External Links - [Merck Research Award Program Page](https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding/awards/women-chemists-merck-research-award.html) - [ACS Committee on Women Chemists](https://www.acs.org/about/governance/committees/women-chemists.html) - [ACS Funding & Awards](https://www.acs.org/funding.html) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Details | |-------------------|----------------------------------| | Email | [wcc@acs.org](mailto:wcc@acs.org) | | ACS General Info | [help@services.acs.org](mailto:help@services.acs.org) | | Phone | +1 800-227-5558 | | ACS Contact Page | [https://www.acs.org/contact.html](https://www.acs.org/contact.html) | ---

Merck Research Award

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