Innovative Activities Grants

The ACS Innovative Activities Grant supports new and innovative chemistry-related projects implemented by Student Chapters. Chapters are eligible to receive up to $500 in matching funds.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an Innovative Activities Grant, chapters must:

Have active status. To be active, a chapter must meet the following requirements:

Submitted at least one chapter report within the last three years.
Have at least six members who have paid their ACS dues.

Submit all financial reports for any chapter grants received during the academic year, if applicable. Projects which represent continuations or minor modifications of previous activities will not be funded.
Provide funds to match the amount of the grant

How to Apply

The deadline to apply is June 3, 2009. Submit a proposal packet with the following:

Cover sheet
Budget analysis. Space for the budget analysis is provided on the cover sheet. Please include source and amount of matching funds.
Proposal. Be sure to submit two copies (no staples or binding).

Send your proposal by June 3 to:

undergrad@acs.org

American Chemical Society
Education Division
Office of Undergraduate Programs
1155 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Proposal Guidelines

Submit grant proposal by the June 3, 2009 DEADLINE.
Your proposal should include a rationale and describe details about the project, your target audience, partnerships, staff (including qualifications), safety considerations and evaluation methods.
Do not include requests for food service unless it is essential to your project. In this circumstance, no more than half of your request should be itemized for food expenditures.
Include a tentative schedule with a completion date not later than June 1, 2010.
Project leaders must submit a brief (1–2 pages) interim report no later than Friday, January 15, 2010.
The final report, due June 15, 2010, should include a detailed project description, with sample activities, photographs, evaluation of results, and a final budget summary. If your project is not completed by the Final Report date, grant money must be refunded and a new grant proposal must be submitted.

Proposal Criteria & Considerations

Criteria	Considerations
Project Rationale	In what way is the project new to the chapter or the community?
Target Audience	Who is your target audience? Provide as much information (statistics, etc.) as possible.
Project Description	What will happen during the course of this project? Who will be involved, what will they do, and how often? What is the timeframe of the project? Who and how many will be benefit from the project? What materials and facilities will be required? What science topics will be addressed, and how? Please provide details about the topics, chemistry activities, or experiments.
Matching Funds	What arrangements have been made to secure additional financial support this project? Please attach any letters of support. Be sure to obtain accurate estimates for proposed expenses and request no more than 50% of the total budget from the ACS on this grant proposal. Clearly indicate the source(s) of your matching funds.
Safety Considerations	How will the project participants ensure that appropriate safety precautions are taken with the participants?
Staff Qualifications	Do the student project directors or supervisors have experience in administering activities comparable to those outlined in the proposal?

Grant Recipients (2008-2009)

Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Chris Pollock, John Kaup
Presidential Video Challenge Competition
Goal: To improve Student Affililates community interactions with local schools.

Iona College, New Rochelle, NY
Aileen Hilario, Sunghee Lee
Having a Ball with Chemistry
Goal: To spread the chemistry of sports to the Iona College community.

Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI
David Sellers, Brooke Cooper, Bruce Baldwin
Biodiesel for a Greener Campus
Goal: To learn and communicating the chemistry of biodiesel synthesis to our campus community by providing biodiesel for our on-campus all vehicles.

Stern College for Women - Yeshiva University, New York, NY
Grace Charles, Chaya Rapp
Chemistry’s Role in Fighting Global Warming
Goal: To provide information about chemistry’s role in saving our planet.

University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI
Danielle Borgerding, Jessica Tischler
2^nd Annual Battle of the Chemistry Clubs
Goal: To allow members of local Student chapters to meet and interact with each other.

Waynesburg University, Waynesburg, PA
John Paiani, Robert LaCount
Incorporating Science into Culture: Halloween Edition
Goal: To provide the students of the local communities with the opportunity to attend an event that will promote curiosity and interest in various science disciplines such as Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.