On April 4, 1968 the ACS Council passed a resolution “to take the appropriate steps to ease the problems of underprivileged segments of the nation’s population, particularly in relation to lack of education and unemployment”; a resolution in response to one of the most turbulent years of the 20th century, fueled by racial tension, segregation, police brutality, lack of employment and opportunity for all.  The ACS wisely recognized the toll that the political and social unrest could take in terms of the future of the chemical sciences: depriving underprivileged people from access to education and employment, and the chemical industry from the potential contributions by this growing pool of individuals.  From this, Project SEED (originally “Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged”) was born and has flourished.

More than 50 years later, Project SEED has grown and diversified its services of providing hands-on summer research experiences (8 – 10 weeks) and virtual summer camps to more than 11,000 students in 40 U.S. states and territories.  Each year, the program supports 350+ students with research opportunities with qualified mentors in both academia and industry, as well as providing a virtual summer camp to students focusing on college readiness and professional development, lab preparedness, and exposure to chemistry-related career paths.

• 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.
• 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.