The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation is pleased to announce ten new grants in the Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions Program.

Awards provide $25,000 to bring a leading researcher in the chemical sciences to a primarily undergraduate institution to give at least two lectures. One of the lectures should be accessible and promoted to a wide audience that includes the general public. The remaining lecture(s) may be more technical.

The lecturer is expected to spend more than one day at the institution to substantively interact with undergraduate students and a broad range of faculty during the visit.

Recipients also receive support for two undergraduates engaged in summer research under mentors in contemporary chemistry and PI summer salary support.

The 2026 awardees are:

California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Pomona, CA

California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, CA

Furman University
Greenville, SC

Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA

Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH

Spelman College
Atlanta, GA

Trinity College
Hartford, CT

Trinity University
San Antonio, TX

University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI

University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of eight new Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholars for 2026.

The award honors young faculty in the chemical sciences who have created an outstanding independent body of scholarship and are deeply committed to education with undergraduates. Each Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar receives an unrestricted research grant of $75,000.

The 2026 winners are:

K. Aurelia Ball
Skidmore College
Investigating Intrinsically Disordered Protein Interactions through Computational Biophysical Chemistry Research

Ying Bao
Western Washington University
Controlled Synthesis and Integration of Functional Plasmonic Nanomaterials

Jennifer Faust
The College of Wooster
Atmospheric Transport and Transformations of Emerging Environmental Contaminants

Allyson Fry-Petit
California State University, Fullerton
Studying Structure-Property Relationships of Oxides: Fundamental, Method Development, and Applied Solid State Chemistry

Emilie Guidez
University of Colorado Denver
Advancing Quantum Mechanical Methods for Molecular Transport and Material Design

Jacob Olshansky
Amherst College
Harnessing Photoexcited Charge and Energy Transfer on the Nanoscale

Christopher Shingledecker
Virginia Military Institute
A Theoretical Investigation of Stardust: The Mysterious Catalyst of Chemical Complexity in the Universe

Ryan Steed
University of North Carolina Asheville
Mechanism and Inhibition of Bacterial Energy Metabolism

The Dreyfus Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Program for Transformative Research, a new initiative to support bold, high-risk research with the potential for transformative impact.

The Program is designed for accomplished, mid-career faculty who are ready to move beyond their existing work and pursue new and unconventional scientific directions. Transformative research may take many forms, from fundamental advances that open new frontiers in the chemical sciences to discoveries with the potential for substantial societal impact.

“The Dreyfus Foundation has a long history of supporting emerging areas of scientific research before more widespread funding is available,” said H. Scott Walter, President. “With the Program for Transformative Research, we aim to create an opportunity for mid-career scientists to explore ideas that could blossom into new fields of research or ultimately improve the human condition.”

The first phase of the Program will provide eight Transformative Research Development Grants of $600,000, disbursed in three annual installments of $200,000. In the final year of the Development Grants, the Foundation will evaluate the projects and select one for an additional Transformative Research Award of $1.5 million, based on the potential of the work.

The Foundation seeks bold and original ideas that depart from current scientific paradigms and represent a significant new direction for the investigator. Proposals will be evaluated for their potential for broad, transformative impact in the chemical sciences, as well as the investigator’s demonstrated scientific creativity and leadership. Projects from all areas of the chemical sciences will be considered, with preference given to compelling work in interdisciplinary or underfunded areas where significant support may not otherwise be available.

“Transformative discoveries often begin with ideas that are difficult to pursue through conventional funding because they challenge established approaches,” said Milan Mrksich of Northwestern University, Chair of the Foundation’s Scientific Affairs Committee. “We are excited to give creative leaders in the chemical sciences an opportunity to move beyond their established work and pursue ideas that could establish new fields of research.”

Applicants must be within 15 years following promotion to tenure and based at an academic institution in the United States or its territories that grants a bachelor’s or higher degree in the chemical sciences. The Foundation will accept only one proposal per institution per cycle.

Applications will include a five-page project essay describing the proposed research and the investigator’s track record, a discussion of the research landscape and how the proposed work differs from existing efforts, a three-year project plan, an institutional letter of support, and the investigator’s CV. No detailed budget or preliminary data are required.

The deadline for proposals is April 27, 2027. Additional details, including complete eligibility requirements and application instructions, are available on the Program for Transformative Research webpage.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) recently announced the winners of two Dreyfus Foundation-supported awards aimed at diversity in the chemical sciences as part of their 2027 National Award Winners. Both Awardees will be honored at the ACS Spring 2027 Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

The 2027 ACS-Dreyfus Award for Encouraging Underrepresented and Economically Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences went to Karen S. Molek, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry, University of West Florida. It was given “for leveraging her professional career as a champion who advocates, supports, and empowers students from disadvantaged backgrounds to realize and achieve their academic potential.”

The award – established in 1993 to recognize significant accomplishments by individuals in stimulating students, underrepresented in the profession, to elect careers in the chemical sciences and engineering – consists of $5,000 and a certificate. A grant of $10,000 is also made to an eligible non-profit institution, designated by the recipient, to strengthen its activities in meeting the objectives of the award.

The 2027 ACS-Dreyfus Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences went to Dr. Judith N. Burstyn, Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was given “for encouraging women into careers in the chemical sciences – from junior trainees to junior and senior peers at her home institution and far beyond.”

The award – established in 1993 to recognize significant accomplishments by individuals who have stimulated or fostered the interest of women in chemistry, promoting their professional development as chemists or chemical engineers – consists of $5,000 and a certificate. A grant of $10,000 is also made to an eligible non-profit institution, designated by the recipient, to strengthen its activities in meeting the objectives of the award.

Nominations for the 2028 National Awards, including these two Dreyfus Foundation-supported awards, is December 5, 2026. Information on how to submit a nomination can be found on the ACS Website.