Undergraduate New Investigator Grants (UNI)

Request for Proposals - Petroleum Research Fund

Program Goals

The goals of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund are (1) the support of fundamental research in the petroleum and energy fields, and (2) development of the next generation of engineers and scientists through support of advanced scientific education. The Undergraduate New Investigator Grants Program is intended to initiate the research program of new scientists and engineers who are faculty members at undergraduate research institutions and to provide financial incentives for students at those institutions to become involved in real-world research activities leading to employment or continued study in graduate school.

Undergraduate New Investigator Grants

This program replaces the previous PRF Type GB grant program. The Undergraduate New Investigator (UNI) grants program provides funds for scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent careers in academia and have limited or no preliminary results for a research project they wish to pursue. The UNI grants are to be used to illustrate proof of principle, i.e., feasibility, and accordingly, are to be viewed as seed money for generating preliminary results that can be used to apply for continuation funding from the PRF (Type UR grants) or other agencies such as the NSF, DOD, etc.

Eligibility for a UNI grant requires that a PI is in a department without a doctoral program, and that the students receiving stipends for the work to be done are undergraduates (M.S.-level students can also be supported IF one or more undergraduates are also supported from this grant). Accordingly, the research being proposed need not be high risk but it should be of publishable quality. The research opportunities afforded must be of the highest caliber, and provide a compelling educational experience for the student.

Award Information

Amount: $50,000 over 2 years
Estimated number of awards: ~ 45 each year

Submission Windows

ACS PRF type UNI proposals are considered at two Panel meetings per year (January and June). The submission window for the January meeting is in July of the previous year. The submission window for the June meeting is in January of the same year.

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Nature and Scope of the Research

ACS PRF research grants are made to non-profit institutions for regularly appointed scientists whose research may be sponsored in accordance with the ACS PRF Transfer Agreement:

“The recipient (ACS) shall use all funds exclusively for advanced scientific education and fundamental research in the ‘petroleum field,’ which may include any field of pure science which in the judgment of (ACS) may afford a basis for subsequent research directly connected with the petroleum field.”

Note that fundamental research is required as opposed to applied research or methods development. All areas of research related to the field of petroleum or alternative energy will be considered. Read more about research areas supported.

The PRF UNI grant program is designed as a source of funds for faculty members at the inception of their careers. The principal investigator must demonstrate to the PRF Program Managers, Advisory Board members, and to the scientific or engineering community of reviewers that their research projects will lead to workforce development and generate preliminary data that can be used by the PI to seek continuation funding from this or other agencies. Poorly crafted proposals that are deemed to be “noncompetitive” will be denied without external review.

All proposals will undergo a compliance check for the following required elements:

• Completeness of the application;
• Research topic is fundamental and not applied;
• Relevance to petroleum or alternative energy; and
• Description of how students’ careers will be developed.

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Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible as a principal investigator for a UNI grant, the applicant must be a member of the faculty of a college or university within the United States; be within the first three years of their first academic appointment as a regular faculty member; have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. (however, an application may be submitted before the degree has been awarded); and be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor or the equivalent. In addition, applicants must meet the following three criteria:

• The non-profit institution submitting the UNI proposal must certify that the person listed as a principal investigator on the cover page qualifies as a principal investigator under the institution’s policies.
• In view of the long-standing policy of The Petroleum Research Fund to give priority to support of students, the principal investigator must be eligible to serve as the formal, official supervisor of the students for whom he/she is seeking support.
• The term of appointment of the principal investigator must promise reasonable continuity of service. The appointment should continue at least through the period of funding requested in the UNI proposal.

Generally the above criteria are automatically met by tenure-track principal investigators. If you are not tenure-track, you should attach a brief statement to your application describing your appointment and you must include a Department Chair’s letter affirming that you meet all three of the above criteria. Finally, no co-PI can be involved but one or more collaborators can participate on the project. Read more about Eligibility, Terms and Conditions for UNI Grants.

Funding Criteria

Grants are awarded through a merit-based selection process. Input to this process includes peer review by a panel of experts in the proposed area of science or engineering selected by the PRF program managers. Rankings of proposals and recommendations for funding are made on the basis of the following criteria:

• The overall quality, significance, and scientific merit of the proposed research, including the extent to which it will increase basic knowledge and/or stimulate additional research. Included in this assessment is a measure of the likelihood that the stated scientific goals will generate publishable preliminary results.
• The extent to which the proposed research involves students and will contribute positively to workforce development in scientific or technological fields.
• The qualifications or potential of the principal investigator and adequacy of the facilities to conduct the research. Proposals from institutions with little or no tradition of research will benefit from statements of institutional support, limited to one page and attached to the end of the proposal.

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Budget Guidelines

No budget detail is required, but certain restrictions apply:

• Amount: Proposals request $50,000 for a two-year period. The normal ACS PRF budget year extends from September 1 to August 31.
• Excluded Charges: No overhead, secretarial and/or administrative salaries may be charged against the grant. Funds may not be used to support post-doctoral associates, laboratory technicians, contractors, consultants, or visiting faculty.
• Principal Investigator Stipend: To provide the opportunity for full-time research during the summer months, the principal investigator may request a contribution to his or her summer salary, with an upper limit of $7,500 per summer, including benefits, to a maximum of $15,000 for the full period of the grant. This limit is determined by the original term of the grant, and does NOT change as a result of time extensions.
• Support of Students: The magnitude of fellowship stipends paid from PRF grants shall be determined by the grantee institution.
• Capital Equipment: The need for adequate equipment to perform the proposed research is recognized, and UNI funds may be used for this purpose.
• Travel: Except for fieldwork which is reported separately, a maximum of $2,000 per year of the original grant term may be used for travel in connection with the project. Support of student travel to scientific meetings is encouraged. There are no restrictions on foreign travel.

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Limitations

• A principal investigator may submit only one research proposal per meeting;
• Only one UNI grant may be held during an investigator’s career.

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Program Managers

• Dr. Robert Botto, Surface Science, Materials Science, telephone: (202) 872-6186, e-mail: r_botto@acs.org
• Dr. Dean Dunn, Geology, Geochemistry and Geophysics, telephone: (202) 872-4083, email: d_dunn@acs.org
• Dr. Ronald E. Siatkowski, Physical Chemistry/Chemical Physics, Polymer Science, Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, telephone: (202) 872-6091, e-mail: r_siatkowski@acs.org
• Dr. Jeffrey Smiley, Synthetic, Inorganic, and Physical Organic Chemistry, telephone: (202) 872-6093, e-mail: j_smiley@acs.org

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