Petroleum Research Fund

Petroleum Research Fund is sponsored by American Chemical Society (ACS). This fund supports fundamental research directly related to petroleum or fossil fuels at nonprofit institutions in the U. S.

and other countries.

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ACS Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) grants are intended as seed money, to enable an investigator to initiate a new research direction. The investigator should not have published or received financial support from another funding agency for the proposed research. Also, proposals that the ACS PRF Committee feels are a logical extension of an investigator’s previous research may be denied as “not a new direction.

” Since the first ACS PRF grants were approved in 1953, several grant programs have evolved to serve segments of the scientific community, including “new investigator” grants and grants to support researchers in departments that do not award doctoral degrees.

Proposals must be for fundamental research in “the petroleum field,” which is defined in our founding document as “petroleum, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands and like materials. ” Fundamental research encompasses the properties of these materials, whereas the petroleum industry undertakes “applied research,” which is outside the scope of ACS PRF.

However, please note that while the PRF Trust imposes certain restrictions, **PRF currently funds many topics of current interest in sustainability and green chemistry**. These include, for example, new catalysts and upgrading/utilization of methane and carbon dioxide. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact a PRF program officer or PRFsupport@acs.

orgfor more information regarding areas. As science evolves, the Petroleum Research Fund(PRF) Committee evaluates its areas of research support regularly. The list of disciplines and areas of research support**Research Areas**will be updated/confirmed every year on November 15.

- Descriptions for panel 1,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 were updated - “Panel 4: Physical Organic Chemistry” was renamed to “Panel 4: Organic Structures, Dynamics, and Mechanisms” to better reflect current trends in the field. The updated panel name(s) and description will apply to all future submissions, beginning with the applications submitted in the following Spring application window.

Previously awarded grants and submitted applications that are still under consideration will not be affected by this change. History of the fund, research areas supported, recent grantees and FAQs. Information for principal investigators on grant programs and eligibility criteria.

* Information for Applicants Read this first If you are thinking about submitting a proposal. Formats, budgets, and submission. Information and forms for grantees to manage PRF grant requirements.

Information for peer reviewers asked to evaluate proposals submitted to PRF. View Annual Reports View Annual Reports ### 2025 Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Yaghi was awarded PRF support in 1994 as a new investigator for “Crystalline Microporous Chalcogenides from Molecular Cages,” and again in 2002 for “Strategies for Synthesis of Covalently-Linked Porous Organic Frameworks.

” “ … PRF was among the very first funding support I received to go into an area of research where it was taken as an article of faith that crystallinity of these reticulated systems is not achievable. It worked because of the freedom I was given in directing my research and the encouragement by PRF, and also NSF and DOE whose support was vital in our initial success as in developing the frontiers of MOFs".

### 2023 Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Bawendi received a PRF G grant--starter grant for new faculty--in 1991. “The ACS PRF generously supported my initial work on quantum dots. Their commitment to funding fundamental research was an important component of my early career success.

” Dr. Moungi Bawendi (MIT) **Eligibility Self-check****Determine your eligibility** for American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund grants. Ready to test your PRF grant know-how? Take the PRF quiz.

We are not currently accepting research proposals for the ND,DNI,UR, orUNIgrant programs. The next submission windows will be from Monday, September 14, 2026 to Friday, October 9, 2026. The submitted proposals will be considered at the May 2027 ACS PRF Committee Meeting.

_Note: The Spring 2027 submission window will be from Monday, February 15, 2027, to Friday, March 12, 2027 (Considered at the October 2027 ACS PRF Committee Meeting).

_ * New Applicants: Pre-Registration Required * Proposal Submission Overview * Online Help - Proposal Submission #### **Celebrating 65 Years of Awarding Research Grants** In celebration of 65 years of Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Grants, the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) has published a special open access virtual issue.

This issue is a retrospective featuring articles recently published in JACS by established chemists who have at some point in their career received PRF funding. Recipients of PRF Grants were invited to share their PRF stories. #### Grantees in the News ACS PRF grantees receive award recognition for their significant contributions to science.

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