ACS Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant

This award provides a post-doctoral fellow/associate or faculty in first 9 months of appointment who plans to launch an independent research career in academia, funds to support a post-doctoral associate/fellow for two years once their new research group is launched.

Building a productive research group as a new faculty member in chemistry and engineering is highly challenging. To that end, the support available to a faculty member in the first two years is critical to developing the foundation for a robust research program that attracts grant funding, provides holistic training and mentorship to graduate students, and contributes to the culture of the department and the professional community. In recognition of this need, the ACS Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant provides support at this crucial junction in the form of a salary for a postdoctoral fellow/associate, who can both help launch the new research lab and gain invaluable experience in the process that can be applied to their own ability to launch an independent career in the future. To ensure meaningful mentorship for the postdoctoral fellow/associate, the award stipulates that the new PI will participate in ACS-based training in green chemistry education and mentorship. This grant mechanism is synergistic with the ACS P2F workshop, which provides critical training to a select group of postdoctoral fellows/associates from around the country. 

The program will grant multiple awards in December 2024. The award supports the salary, benefits, and travel of a postdoctoral fellow for a two-year period. The sum is capped at $125,000. No overhead cost may be charged, which includes secretarial and/or administrative salaries. Funds may not be used to support laboratory technicians, contractors, consultants, or visiting faculty. Awardees will receive a letter of award stating that the funds will be disbursed in the first three months following the state date of the faculty appointment (or, in the case of faculty already in their first 9 months of appointment, the funds will be disbursed as soon as possible.)