About American Chemical Society

Mission and vision

We are dynamic and visionary, committed to “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.”

This vision ─ developed by the ACS Board of Directors after broad consultation with the membership ─ complements the ACS Mission statement, which is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” 

What we do

The Society publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. We also give more than $22 million every year in grants for basic research in petroleum and related fields.

We also play a leadership role in educating and communicating with public policy makers and the general public about the importance of chemistry in our lives. This includes identifying new solutions, improving public health, protecting the environment and contributing to the economy.

Global presence

The Society’s international membership exceeds 24,000 and represents more than 140 countries.

More than 60 percent of the articles published in ACS journals and more than half of the material covered in the Society’s Chemical Abstracts Service ─ the world’s most comprehensive source of chemical and scientific information ─ originates outside the United States.

ACS sponsors or promotes a number of international activities such as joint conferences with chemical societies in India and other countries, and the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (PacifiChem), a weeklong scientific meeting, held once every five years in conjunction with ACS counterparts in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and China.

We support real-world initiatives

ACS works to improve the world through other initiatives including:

• Project SEED offers bright, economically disadvantaged high school students an opportunity to spend a summer conducting chemical laboratory research with the guidance of a chemical scientist.
• ACS Scholars Program provides underrepresented minority undergraduates with scholarship and mentoring support that they need to earn degrees in the chemical sciences.
• Advancing Chemistry Teaching supports the professional development of science teachers so that they can better present chemistry in the classroom and foster the scientific curiosity of our nation’s youth.
• Green Chemistry Education and Outreach promotes the implementation of green chemistry and engineering principles into all aspects of the chemical enterprise.
  

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