ACS Project SEED

Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, an SAT fee waiver, SNAP, or a TRIO program, and who have taken chemistry. Income eligibility is a formal requirement here, which means you are not competing against students from wealthier households.

• Family annual income at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size
• Preferably a current high school sophomore, junior, or senior; recent graduates of that year are eligible
• Completed at least one course of high school chemistry
• Demonstrated interest in science or chemistry
• Students under 18 need express permission from a parent or guardian
• Prior lab experience is ideal but not required

• 8 to 10 weeks of paid research, about 8 hours a weekday
• $4,000 fellowship award for Summer I, and $4,000 again for Summer II returners
• A real research project with a scientist mentor in academia or industry, not dish washing
• A written report or poster at the end of the summer
• Possible field trips, campus tours, and career panels depending on the site
• Some sites register students to present posters at the ACS National Meeting
• Summer II students may be eligible for travel grants to scientific meetings

• Online application through the ACS Project SEED site
• Parent or guardian permission plus their email address for confirmation
• Documentation of financial eligibility: a 1040 tax form, free and reduced lunch eligibility, SNAP or WIC documentation, TRIO program participation such as Upward Bound, or SAT and ACT fee waiver eligibility
• Transcript and evidence of chemistry background for site review

• Gather your income documentation first. Any one of five proofs works, and the free and reduced lunch letter or SAT fee waiver is usually the easiest to get from your school.
• Use the locator map on the ACS site to find a Project SEED site you can commute to daily. Final selection is made by site coordinators, and a safe commute is part of their decision.
• Watch the ACS application walkthrough webinar. It is free and covers the parts students most often get wrong.
• Apply as a sophomore or junior if you can. Summer I students can return for a Summer II fellowship with another $4,000 award.
• Keep your summer clear. Coordinators weigh availability for the whole 8 to 10 weeks and count competing activities against you.

Project SEED started in 1968 and has served more than 11,000 students across 40 US states and territories, supporting 350 or more students a year. ACS also runs a virtual summer camp focused on college readiness, lab preparedness, and chemistry career paths. Questions go to projectseed@acs.org.