ACS News

Grants For Renewal Opportunities For Women

Grants for Renewal Opportunities for Women (GROW) are now available from the American Chemical Society. These grants are part of the ACS PROGRESS Plan (C&EN, Oct. 15, 2001, page 39). PROGRESS stands for Partnerships, Reflection, Openness, Grants, Resources, Education, Site visits, Successes. It is an ACS three-year pilot project to develop, test, and evaluate programs focused on facilitating the full professional participation and advancement of women chemists and chemical engineers.

These grants aim to support educational opportunities and will provide funding to women to pursue their own personal development plans. The grants are intended to enable women who have little or no access to financial support to enhance their professional development in their current jobs or to facilitate their advancement to better positions. The program accommodates various educational programs, such as short courses, certificate programs, and seminars.

Applicants must be ACS members and must have been out of school for at least five years. All degree holders are eligible, including holders of associate's degrees. Completed applications must be received by Feb. 27. Applicants will be notified by mail by March 26 if their applications have been approved. Approved applicants are eligible to be reimbursed up to $2,000 to cover the costs for one training course, travel, and child care. The course must be completed by Dec. 31. Approved applicants will receive a travel expense voucher that must be returned with receipts no later than two weeks after the training course is completed as well as a one-page evaluation form.

More information on these grants is available from Felicia Foxworth Dixon, PROGRESS Project, GROW Grants, American Chemical Society, 1155--16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Phone (202) 872-6334, fax (202) 776-8003, or e-mail progress@acs.org, and request an application packet.

Summer Internship Directory Available

Undergraduates interested in participating in internships, research, or other work opportunities during the summer of 2004 should begin researching and applying for programs now. To assist students in their search, the ACS Experiential Programs in Chemistry (EPiC) activity has compiled the "2004 Directory of Experience Opportunities," which lists more than 75 programs for students in the chemical sciences. Most listings provide a brief program description, eligibility requirements, contact information, and deadlines. The online edition also has hyperlinks to the employers' websites. Visiting the online directory at http://chemistry.org/education/epic is a great first step to finding a summer work experience.

For more information on the EpiC Program or other ACS Education Initiatives, contact the ACS Education & International Activities Division at (202) 872-6169.