ACS award in Organometallic Chemistry

ACS award in Organometallic Chemistry
Name	ACS award in Organometallic Chemistry
Awarded for	Outstanding research in organometallic chemistry
Presenter	American Chemical Society
Country	United States
Year	1983

ACS award in Organometallic Chemistry

The ACS award in Organometallic Chemistry is a prize presented by the American Chemical Society recognizing distinguished research in organometallic chemistry. The award highlights advances that intersect with fields represented by institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University. Recipients often have connections to organizations like National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Max Planck Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, and European Research Council.

History

The creation of the award in the early 1980s paralleled growth in organometallic research driven by pioneers at DuPont, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto Company, and academic centers including Yale University and Columbia University. Early influences included milestones associated with Wilhelm Ostwald Prize-era funding, activities at Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborative programs with Bell Labs and Scripps Research. Over successive decades the prize has reflected developments linked to Nobel laureates from University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, Princeton University, and University of Chicago.

Award Criteria and Eligibility

Eligibility emphasizes sustained, impactful contributions to organometallic chemistry from investigators affiliated with institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and University of Texas at Austin. The criteria mirror standards used by other ACS awards and professional societies like American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Royal Society and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Nominees are typically evaluated for research linking to technologies developed at Bell Labs, patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, translational collaborations with firms like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and activities tied to national laboratories including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Selection Process and Committee

The selection process involves peer nomination and review by an ACS-appointed committee including members from ACS Division of Organic Chemistry, ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry, and related divisions with liaisons from American Chemical Society regional sections. Committees often include past awardees from institutions such as University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. External reviewers may be drawn from international organizations like Max Planck Society, Institut Pasteur, and CNRS. The committee evaluates publications in journals such as Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Organometallics, and Nature Chemistry.

Notable Recipients and Impact

Notable recipients have included researchers associated with Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University. Their work has catalyzed progress in areas linked to Suzuki reaction, Grubbs catalyst, Heck reaction, Wittig reaction, and advances in homogeneous catalysis underpinning industrial processes at ExxonMobil, Shell plc, and Toyota Research Institute. Awardees’ research influenced funding priorities at National Science Foundation, collaborative programs with European Research Council, and technology transfer collaborations with entities such as Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co..

Award Components and Presentation

The award typically includes a medal, citation, and a cash honorarium administered by the American Chemical Society and presented at national meetings often held in cities like San Diego, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., or Philadelphia. Presentation events frequently feature invited lectures hosted by ACS divisions and sponsored symposia with participation from universities including University of California, Davis, Purdue University, University of Minnesota, University of Florida, and Michigan State University. The ceremony also aligns with other ACS awards such as the Priestley Medal and the Arthur C. Cope Award.

Related ACS Programs and Prizes

The prize complements other ACS awards and programs including the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry, Arthur C. Cope Award, Priestley Medal, A. C. Cope Scholar Awards, ACS Fellows Program, and divisional lectureships from the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry. It sits alongside international recognitions like the Tetrahedron Prize, RSC Centenary Prize, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and grants from institutions such as Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Wellcome Trust.

Category:American Chemical Society awards