Information for Applicants

ACS PRF grants provide "seed money" to enable an investigator to begin a "new direction in research" in petroleum-relevant science. This Brief Overview of ACS PRF Research Grants outlines areas of supported fundamental research, grant types and amounts, proposal formatting, and budget limitations.

How to Submit a Proposal

To assist you in the submission process please review the following information:

• Instructions for proposal submission
  
• A checklist of common errors, which make a proposal uncompetitive or outside the scope of ACS PRF.
  

Writing Competitive Proposals

This document outlines information provided by our Program Managers to diverse audiences with suggestions for writing a proposal which has the best chance of being funded.

Instructive Videos

• What makes a competitive proposal?
• What makes a good ACS PRF grant proposal reviewer?
• What Makes a Proposal a New Direction?
• The PRF Program Manager as a Resource
• Grant Reporting Requirements

Historical Information

The Petroleum Research Fund was originally established as a Trust by seven major oil companies in 1944. The Trust document specifically defines the "petroleum field" which may be supported by ACS PRF research grants. Download the Trust Agreement.

The PRF Trust was dissolved in 2000, and the assets were transferred to the American Chemical Society. This document outlines the terms and legal limitations under which ACS manages these assets, and provides research grants. The "petroleum field" definition is the same as that in the 1944 PRF Trust.

Download the Transfer of Trust Agreement.