Undergraduate Research Grants (UR)

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 Research (UR) Program supports the research programs of established scientists and engineers at non-doctoral research departments and provides financial support for students at those institutions – the next generation of scientists and engineers – to become involved in advanced investigative research activities, in preparation for continued study in graduate school or employment.

Undergraduate Research (UR) Grants

This program replaces the previous PRF Type B grant program. The emphasis of the UR grants is to provide funding for scientists and engineers with established programs of research at non-doctoral departments. Demonstration of productivity is important, but a UR grant may also be used for a project with limited or no preliminary results in a new research area the PI wishes to pursue, with the intention of using the preliminary results obtained to seek continuation funding from other agencies.

Eligibility for a UR grant requires that a PI is in a department without a doctoral program, and that undergraduates are involved in the project. Investigators from Master’s degree-granting departments are eligible, and support can be provided for M.S. level research, but undergraduates must be included in the project. Accordingly, the research being proposed need not be comparable in volume and scope of research in doctoral settings, but it should be of publishable quality, and the research opportunities afforded the students must be of the highest caliber.

Award Information

Amount: $65,000 over 3 years
Estimated number of awards: ~ 45 each year

Submission Windows

ACS PRF type UR 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 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 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. Read more about research areas supported.

PRF recognizes that undergraduate research is rarely central to the petroleum and alternative energy fields. Accordingly, research at the periphery of the petroleum and alternative energy fields is acceptable in UR grants. A greater emphasis on advanced scientific education in UR grants is thus necessary to fulfill the PRF Transfer Agreement. The principal investigator must demonstrate to the PRF Program Managers, Advisory Board members, and to the scientific or engineering community of reviewers that their proposals are designed with the participation of students as the essential feature. 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 and eligibility of the PI applicant;
• Research topic is fundamental and not applied;
• Relevance to petroleum or alternative energy; and
• Description of how students’ scientific education will be enhanced.

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Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible as a principal investigator for a UR grant, the applicant must hold a primary appointment in a college or university department that does not grant the Ph.D. or any doctoral degree. Research or adjunct faculty holding non-tenured, long-term scientific appointments also may be eligible. Current eligibility criteria are:

• The non-profit institution submitting the Type UR proposal must certify that each individual 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 goal 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 students for whom he/she is seeking support.
• The terms of appointment of each principal investigator must promise reasonable continuity of service. The appointment should continue at least through the period of funding requested in the UR 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. Read more about Eligibility, Terms and Conditions for UR Grants.

Funding Criteria

Proposals are evaluated 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 educational and 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

• Maximum Request: Proposals may request a maximum of $65,000; all proposals are for three years. The total budget may be divided between the three years according to the needs of the project. The normal ACS PRF budget year extends from September 1 to August 31.
• Excluded Charges: No overhead costs may be charged which includes secretarial and/or administrative salaries. Funds may not be used to support laboratory technicians, contractors, consultants, post-doctoral fellows, or visiting faculty.
• Support of Students: The grantee institution shall determine the magnitude of stipends paid from PRF grants. Funds budgeted for student support may not be shifted to other categories without prior approval from PRF, and then only under extenuating circumstances. Support of students is a critical feature of PRF UR grants, and should be the highest priority among expenditures.
• Principal Investigator Stipend: Only principal investigators in the United States may request a contribution to his or her summer salary, not to exceed $7,500 per grant year, including benefits, to a maximum of $22,500. This limit is determined by the original term of the grant and does not change as a result of time extensions. Elective summer teaching is strongly discouraged for UR investigators who request this stipend.
• Capital Equipment: The need for adequate equipment to perform the proposed research is recognized and UR funds may be used for this purpose; however, decreased student support in lieu of equipment is discouraged. For single equipment purchases exceeding $10,000, applicants should seek matching funds.
• Travel: A maximum of $2,000 per year of the original grant term may be used for conference travel. Support of student travel to scientific meetings is encouraged. There are no restrictions on foreign travel. Note that scientific work done away from the home institution is considered field work and is budgeted separately.

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Limitations

• A principal investigator may have only one research proposal active or under consideration per meeting. This limitation extends to those who have co-PI status on an application. A PI must close an active grant, after the full grant period has been completed, before submitting another proposal.
• The schedule for proposal submissions and panel meetings allows an applicant who is turned down at a June meeting to resubmit for the next January meeting. (Hasty resubmissions that fail to address shortcomings of the denied proposal are not recommended.) However, applicants who are turned down at a January meeting will not be able to resubmit for the next June meeting. The schedule allows for a maximum of three submissions during a period of two years.

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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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