New Program Grants Now Available

The ACS Office of Public Affairs is funding a starter grant program to encourage ACS local sections to form a Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and/or a Public Relations committee (PRC). A GAC works to develop long-term relationships with their elected officials by sharing ACS positions and engaging legislators in science-policy dialogue. A PRC works to improve the public’s perception of chemistry by speaking confidently and consistently about the value of chemists and chemistry. Ideally, a committee comprises three to four individuals representing academia, industry, and students; however, it may consist of only one or two individuals.

The program grants local sections up to $250 to form one or $500 to form both types of committees. The application deadline is November 30, 2009.

Funds are distributed once a local section names a committee chair and identifies a potential program activity to be completed in 2010 Activities can include, but are not limited to, the following:

Help is available: Committees do not work alone: the ACS Office of Public Affairs provides materials and helpful suggestions. In addition, the ACS Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs and the ACS Committee on Public Relations and Communications provide resources and guidance.

To apply for a grant, please submit the following information to Brad Smith.

• Committee Type
• Committee Chair Name
• Committee Chair Contact Information
• Local Section
• Local Section Treasurer
• Local Section Treasurer Address (for grant funds)
• Planned Program Activity (100 words or less)

Learn more about

• Government Affairs committees
• Public Relations committees

For more information, please contact Brad Smith. Thank you.

Job Description—Local Section Government Affairs Committee (GAC) Chair

Summary

The GAC chair is responsible for

• promoting public policy matters by building relationships with local, state, and federal policymakers. The ACS national office offers tools and guidance to help members carry out this role.
• encouraging other members to assist in this effort and be part of a GAC Committee

The suggested term is three years, during which time a successor should be identified and trained.

Qualifications

• Willingness to develop a relationship with policymakers (visits, phone calls, letters)
• Willingness to recruit local section members to join the Legislative Action Network (LAN)
• Desire to share one’s own personal passion for chemistry and convey the value of chemistry to policymakers.

Responsibilities

• Contact federal policymakers at least four times a year.
• Expand local section member involvement in the LAN.
• Arrange a local section meeting with a focus on public policy (optional).
• Plan additional science policy program activities.
  
  
  

Job Description—Local Section Public Relations Committee Chair

Summary

The PRC chair is responsible for

• generating public awareness of local section activities and events
• being the key contact for the Chemistry Ambassadors program. Chemistry Ambassadors reach out to communicate with non-scientific audiences the importance of chemistry in their daily lives.

The suggested term is three years, during which time a successor should be identified and trained.

Qualifications

• Willingness to make calls to reporters to "pitch" story ideas and acquaint them with resources offered by the Section, such as scientific expertise.
• Good writing and verbal communication skills and the ability to be concise—identifying the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” that will appeal to a member of the public.
• Desire to share one’s own personal passion for chemistry and to convey the value of chemistry to the public.

Responsibilities

• Create an inventory of section activities for the year, especially those that could have public interest, such as speakers who have a topic of public interest (e.g., forensics), Project SEED participants, NCW and Earth Day events, scholarships for local students, announcement of new officers, and sponsorship of science fairs.
• Create a media list of local news outlets and reporters who would be interested in the activities listed above. Cultivate a relationship with key reporters likely to cover section news and be responsive to their needs concerning deadlines and requests for technical expertise.
• Write and distribute press releases with pertinent details about newsworthy activities. Email “Discoveries!”, a weekly feed of ACS news articles, to a local newspaper and put positive chemistry stories in the headlines.
• Encourage section members to be Chemistry Ambassadors and be their key liaison.

NOTE: The GAC and PR chairs won’t do this alone. The ACS Office of Public Affairs offers tools and guidance to help members carry out these roles. For tips, ideas, and resources go to Chemistry Ambassadors and American Chemical Society PR Guidebook .