The Office of Foundation Relations is pleased to share two open calls for funding from the American Chemical Society.
- UCSC Contact: Samantha Forde | forde@ucsc.edu
- Funder: American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
- Program: New Direction (ND) Grants
- Program: Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) Grants
- Deadline: March 6, 2026, 2pm PT
ACS Petroleum Research Fund research grant programs support fundamental research in the petroleum field, and development of the next generation of engineers and scientists through advanced scientific education. Research areas supported include chemistry, earth sciences, chemical and petroleum engineering, and related fields such as polymers and materials science.
1. Overview: New Direction (ND)
The New Directions (ND) grants program provides funds to scientists and engineers with limited—or even no—preliminary results for a research project who intend to use the PRF-supported preliminary results for continuation funding from other agencies. ND grants are to be used to illustrate proof of concept/feasibility and are intended as seed money for new research projects.
Eligibility
- Regularly-appointed faculty members
- Principal investigators (lead and co-PI) must be eligible to serve as official supervisors of graduate students in graduate degree programs
Award and Terms
- $125,000 over 2 years
- No indirect cost allowed
- 60 % of budget devoted to education and training of students
- Estimated number of grants awarded: ~75 each year
2. Overview: Doctoral New Investigator (DNI)
Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) grants provide start-up funding for scientists and engineers in the United States who are within the first three years of their first academic appointment at the level of Assistant Professor or the equivalent. Applicants can have limited or no preliminary results for a research project they wish to pursue, with the intention of using the preliminary results obtained to seek continuation funding from other agencies. The DNI grants are to be used to illustrate proof of principle or concept, to test a hypothesis, or to demonstrate feasibility of an approach.
Eligibility
- Regularly-appointed faculty members who are within the first three years of their first academic appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor
- Principal investigators (lead and co-PI) must be eligible to serve as supervisors of graduate students in graduate degree programs
Award and Terms
- $110,000 over 2 years
- No indirect cost allowed
- 60 % of budget devoted to education and training of students
- Estimated number of awards: ~75 each year
Timeline
- March 6, 2026, 2pm PT Proposals due
- October 2026 Reviews during the ACS PRF Committee Meeting
Please see a list of FAQs.
Special Instructions: Please notify the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to this opportunity (fr@ucsc.edu). Please submit a proposal intake form prior to UCSC’s internal Institutional Deadlines. For support developing your proposal, please send a request to resdev@ucsc.edu.
Call sent: February 13, 2026
The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Advancement. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits. For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website: FR Calls for Funding.