Organic Syntheses Inc. invites applications for summer research grants from
faculty at principally undergraduate institutions. Each grant award will
provide $8,000 total costs per summer to a PUI faculty member who will
subsequently choose their undergraduate coworker for the project from among
the students in their department. The budget will include a stipend for a
minimum of ten weeks of summer research by the student coworker with the
remainder employed for materials and supplies. No indirect costs will be
allowed. The award will be for $8,000 for the summer of 2024 and $8,000 for
summer 2025, with the second summer of funding contingent on submission of
a report in September 2024 describing satisfactory progress during the
first summer of funding.
We recommend that $5,000 be allocated for the stipend to the Org Syn Summer
Scholar and $3,000 be used for materials and supplies, however, in order to
provide flexibility, faculty may rebudget funds as they feel appropriate
without prior authorization from Organic Syntheses.
Recipients of an Organic Syntheses Summer Grants prior to 2023 may apply for 2024 grants. Only faculty at institutions in the United States and Canada that do not grant doctoral degrees in chemistry are eligible to apply.
In accord with the mission of Organic Syntheses, Inc., the proposed research should be in the
area of synthetic organic chemistry, broadly defined. Special consideration will be given to the
submission of proposals on the development of reliable synthetic methods that have the
potential to eventuate in an article appropriate for publication in the journal Organic Syntheses.
The prioritization of proposals for funding will be based on the following criteria:
· Novelty and significance of the proposed research will be primary considerations, with some
consideration given to potential for publication in Organic Syntheses.
· The track record and potential of the faculty supervisor will also be considered, particularly for
their ability to advance undergraduate research projects and provide proactive mentorship of
undergraduate students, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM.
While not required, we encourage students and faculty supervisors to present their research at
a national or local conference.
·Preference will be given for support of PIs who do not have a concurrent major grant (NSF,
NIH, etc) support.
Applications should be submitted by December 1, 2023 as a single PDF file
attached to an email sent to ospui@mit.edu. Applications must consist of
the following components.
· Completed Faculty Cover Sheet (download the form from this webpage).
· Curriculum Vitae including list of publications. Please clearly
indicate which papers represent research by undergraduate coworkers.
· List of most recent undergraduate coworkers (5-10 maximum) including
their first position after graduation and current employment (if known).
· Description of proposed research (maximum 3 pages including figures,
schemes, and references).
· Letter of support from the Chair of your department confirming the
availability of space, equipment, and administrative support for the
proposed research and confirming that undergraduate researchers will
receive appropriate training in laboratory safety.
Applicants will be notified of decisions on funding in February 2024.
Announcement of the awards will be made on the Org Syn website in the
homepage slideshow with a link to a page with biographies of the PUI
faculty supervisors. Following the summer of research, the faculty
supervisor and student will jointly prepare a brief (1-2 page) report on
the research accomplished and a summary of funds expended. The report will
be due by September 30, 2024 and will be submitted to the office of the
Editor in Chief. We will also request a follow-up letter one year after the
summer of research describing any publications and conference presentations
and reporting on the subsequent career of the student supported by the
grant.