EDUCATIONAL GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR

February 24, 2020

Dear Grant Applicant:

The California Section of the American Chemical Society is continuing its funding of educational grants for the 2020 to 2021 school year. Last year the Educational Grants Committee selected five applicants to receive a total of $3,000. The grants are offered to high school, college and university chemistry programs within the geographical boundaries of the California Section (see attached list for eligible counties.)  In addition, these grants are now offered to middle schools as well.  The purpose of these grants is to supplement current chemistry programs and increase educational facilities within this field; they are not meant to provide salary or stipend income for either teachers or students.  The intention of this program is to provide funding for school programs that have limited sources of traditional funding within the chemistry field.  For more information on the scope and restrictions of the educational grants, please refer to the “Selection Rules for Grant Applicants” section of this application package.

The deadline for applications for the upcoming academic year is July 1, 2020. The Educational Grants Committee (appointed by the Executive Committee of the California Section) will review the grant applications over the course of the summer, with final decisions for funding to be announced on or before September 1st.  It is suggested that applications be filed as early as possible; however, the applications will be considered as a group. Grant applications may be e-mailed, mailed, or faxed to the California Section office of the ACS.  Please include as much contact information as possible (home/summer and work telephone numbers and email address) in case further information is needed.

Grant applications must state the exact nature of the educational need, as well as a proposal for the specific use of the funding. A copy of the Grant Application is enclosed. Applications are available here. Please feel free to contact Julie Mason at the California Section office (510-351-9922) if further information is required.  Please submit grant applications by e-mail, mail, or fax to the Section address listed above by July 1, 2020. Email applications are strongly encouraged.

On behalf of the California Section of the American Chemical Society, we wish you success in your application!  We also encourage you to forward this information to any other teachers or schools that might be interested.

Sincerely,

Bryan Balazs, Chair

Educational Grants Committee

California Section, American Chemical Society

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CALIFORNIA SECTION EDUCATIONAL GRANTS

LIST OF ELIGIBLE COUNTIES

ALAMEDAALPINE

BUTTE

CONTRA COSTA

DEL NORTE

GLENN

HUMBOLDT

LAKE

LASSEN

MARINMARIPOSA

MENDOCINO

MERCED

MODOC

MONO

NAPA

PLUMAS

SAN FRANCISCO

SHASTASIERRA

SISKIYOU

SOLANO

SONOMA

STANISLAUS

TEHAMA

TRINITY

TUOLOMNE

RULES FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS

1. The funds granted must be used as “Special grants to high school, college and university chemistry programs within the geographical boundaries of the California Section of the American Chemical Society.”

2 .The Grant Applicant must be a teacher or professor in an accredited school in the State of California. The Grant Recipient shall be directly responsible for all grant funds and shall produce receipts for all major expenditures, if asked. If requested, the Grant Recipient shall submit a brief Annual Report of the Program with expenditures of all funds allocated by the California Section. This report is due at the end of the grant period.

3. The Grant Recipient may request additional funds of up to 10% of the original grant request total, subject to availability of funds.  These requests must be for unanticipated costs associated with the grant request, such as vendor price increases, additional shipping charges, etc., but they may not be for additional materials or extra equipment not included in the original request. This request must be made in writing by the end of the calendar year in which the original request is made. All unused funds must be returned to the Educational Grants Committee at the end of the grant period.

4. No grant money will be used to pay the Grant Recipient or any other teacher a salary or stipend. An expense directly charged may be reimbursed, such as a registration fee for a meeting, or a chemistry journal subscription. Students under the Grant Recipient’s direct supervision may be paid a reasonable and proper sum to cover expenses, such as compensation for services that require time and effort beyond normal student activities.

5. Some travel expenses are permissible under the conditions of this grant, and the decision to fund specific travel expenses is reserved for the discretion of the Educational Grants Committee. Travel expenses such as lodging or food expenses will not be covered for teachers; food expenses for students may be reimbursed at a reasonable level. The following expenses may be covered: transportation, registration for ACS national or regional meetings, or registration for other chemistry-related professional meetings. No more than one round-trip airfare shall be reimbursed to the Grant Recipient, or any other teacher or student, during the one-year term of the grant. Travel by automobile may be reimbursed at the rate of $0.40 per mile, for chemistry related purposes for any number of students. No foreign travel will be funded or reimbursed under the conditions of this grant.

6. Any equipment, books or other item purchased with an Educational Grant becomes the property of the school for which it was purchased as a gift from the California Section. This list includes, but is not limited to, the following items: calculators, lab equipment, computer software or hardware, journals, books, or other “nonconsumables.” Neither the Grant Recipient nor any other students or faculty will personally own or remove from service materials purchased by Educational Grant monies.