Apply for Project SEED Summer Program

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February - April 2024
Students Apply

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April and May 2024
Student Selection

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June to August 2024
Program Dates


What Can Project SEED Do For You?

Vimeo ID: 294421182


Student applications will OPEN February 2024. If you are interested in receiving notifications about information sessions and application openings, please complete this interest form.


Do you like science? Are you interested in learning what scientists really do in their laboratories? Get exposure to chemistry, prepare for college, and learn about science career paths in the ACS Project SEED program. Interested in receiving email updates on when the application opens? Fill out this interest form and stay in the know.

Project SEED 2024 Programming

At this point in time, the Project SEED Summer Program plans to continue as normal, with in-person and virtual research projects for students. Please continue to monitor the website. It will be updated as changes are made based on the safest course of action regarding COVID-19 and its variants. The student application is scheduled to open in February of 2024.

How to Apply

  1. View the eligibility criteria below. If you are ineligible, please consider visiting www.pathwaystoscience.org to find a number of other research opportunities (note that this site is unaffiliated with the American Chemical Society).
  2. Receive your parent or guardian's permission to apply and participate.  You will have to verify that you have received this permission, and also provide a parent or guardian's email address so we can send a confirmation of your application to them.        
  3. If you are eligible, you can apply to the 2024 Summer Program through the application link at the bottom of this page. Contact the ACS Project SEED office via email at projectseed@acs.org if you have any additional questions.
  • Eligibility Requirements

    • All students under 18 must receive the expressed permission of a parent or guardian.
    • Your family's annual income must not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines based on family size.  Below is a table of those figures for 2023.  Students will have to provide documentation to verify household annual income for 2021 or 2022.  Please visit the Federal Poverty Guidelines website to see guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii.
    Household / Family Size      300%    Household / Family Size300%
    1 $40,7708 $139,890
    2 $54,9309 $154,050
    3 $69,09010 $168,210
    4 $83,25011 $182,370
    5 $97,41012 $196,530
    6 $111,57013 $210,690
    7 $125,73014 $224,850
    • NEW! Methods of Demonstrating Eligibility: Students must provide one of the following to demonstrate financial eligibility
      • A copy of a 1040 tax form showing that the annual adjusted gross income within the last 2 years has been 300% or less of the federal poverty guideline for household size
      • Documentation showing that the student is eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRPL) at his/her/their school
      • Documentation showing that the family is eligible for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, SNAP, or WIC for Infants and Children (also referred to as EBT or food stamps)
      • Documentation showing participation in a TRIO program such as Upward Bound or other programs geared towards socioeconomically challenged families
      • Documentation showing eligibility for SAT/ACT fee waiver
    • Preferably a current high school sophomore, junior or senior (2024 high school graduates are eligible). 
    • Must have completed at least one course of high school chemistry.
    • Must demonstrate an interest in science and/or chemistry.
  • Selection Criteria 

    Research Programs:
    • Students must be eligible and provide documentation to demonstrate financial eligibility (see eligibility criteria above)
    • Site coordinators and mentors will review student applications and may select participants based on
      • Competitive academic performance
      • Level of expressed interest in science
      • Availability for the duration of the summer program (minimum competing summer activities)
      • Students with prior lab experience ideal, but not required
      • Number of student slots allocated to the site and budget
  • What to Expect

    Types of SEED Programs

    Project SEED In-Person Research is a paid, summer fellowship program for high school students.  Once accepted, students commute daily to a  research lab (typically about 8 hours per weekday, Monday through Friday) for anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks.  Students do meaningful research - meaning you won't just wash lab dishes, or press a button on a machine all day.  You get to work on a project independently or with other students, and write a report or prepare a poster at the end of the summer.  Depending on the Project SEED site, there may be additional activities, such as field trips and campus tours, career panels, participation in poster/science fair competitions, and more!  Some coordinators choose to register their students for the American Chemical Society National Meeting to present their poster to thousands of attendees.

    • Summer I Program
      The Summer I program is for first-time Project SEED participants who are given a scientific research project in chemistry or a related field under the direct supervision of a scientist-mentor. Students receive a $4,000 fellowship award/stipend.
    • Summer II Program
      The Summer II program provides Project SEED Summer I students with an additional summer (or two) of scientific research. Students either continue their research from the previous summer or begin a new research project. These students receive a $4,000 fellowship award. Summer II students may be eligible for a travel grant to present their research at ACS meetings or other scientific meetings.

    Project SEED Scholarships

    Students that successfully complete the 8-10 week Project SEED summer experience and decide to study chemistry and STEM-related majors (especially chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or materials science) in college are eligible to compete for Project SEED scholarships.  Scholarships range from 1 to 4 years of up to $5,000 awarded each academic year.

Full Student Schedule
Feb-April
Online application opens
April to May
Selected students are announced
Mid-Spring
College scholarship winners announced
June-Aug
Summer Programs Run

Join the ACS Project SEED community

Are you interested in ensuring the future of this program? It takes both students and donors to make it happen! Consider applying if you are an eligible student. If you would like to donate to the ACS Project SEED Program, please find more information below.

I WANT TO DONATE

For more information

Phone: 1-800-227-5558 (ext. 8062)
Email: projectseed@acs.org
Please email us for the fastest response.

ACS Project SEED Program
1155 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036