NJ ACS Awards

NJ ACS administers eight annual or biennial awards to recognize the contributions from its members and to promote the advancement of chemistry.

Recognize someone now by nominating them for an award! There are links below for nomination forms for many of the awards. For more information on these awards and to submit a nomination, please contact Diane Krone, Awards Committee Chair, at kroned@comcast.net.

The Section also helps support the nomination of Section members for National and other ACS awards and recognition – contact the Awards Chair for assistance.

The Section would also like to recognize Section members who receive National and Regional ACS Awards – if you know of any North Jersey awardees in current or past years, please inform the Awards Committee Chair so that their achievements can be noted by the Section.

This award is given to a North Jersey chemist or chemical engineer over fifty years of age for conspicuous achievements in chemistry, not heretofore recognized by any major scientific award. Awardees are nominated biennially (odd years) by public advertising and receive a $1,000 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1993.

Nominations for the  Lifetime Achievement Award open November 1 of even years with a submission deadline of February 28 of odd years. Submissions to Diane Krone, Awards Committee Chair, at kroned@comcast.net. Nomination form and guidelines are here:  [ docx, pdf ].

The Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award was established in September 1944 by the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society and has been sponsored by the Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. It consists of a gold plated medal and $5,000. It is conferred biennially upon a US-based chemist under 40 years of age in recognition of accomplishments in pure or industrial chemistry, as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual and indicated by published or unpublished evidence. The award was established to commemorate the technical and industrial achievements of Baekeland and to encourage younger chemists to emulate his example. The Award is now presented as part of a symposium with other speakers. The result is an excellent symposium that allows industrial scientists, academics and students to come together and enjoy both cutting edge science and an opportunity to interact with leading scientists.

The North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society is soliciting nominations for the 2023 Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award. The Award consists of a gold medal and a $5,000 honorarium. The Section presents the Award biennially to commemorate the technical and industrial achievements of Leo Hendrik Baekeland and to encourage younger chemists to emulate his example.

The Award is given in recognition of accomplishments in pure or applied chemistry to an US-based chemist as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual (indicated by published or unpublished evidence) and who will be under the age of 40 as of January 1, 2023.

Nominations for the Award should include a letter describing the nominee’s achievements, a brief biography, and a list of the nominee’s more important publications. Successful nomination packets include two to three recommendation letters supporting the candidate.

Re-nominations are encouraged, provided the age requirement is still met.

Nomination Packets for the 2023 Baekeland Award will be accepted until January 15, 2023. Please send the completed packet to Diane Krone, ACS North Jersey Section Awards Chair at dkrone@njacs.org.

The Award for Creativity in Molecular Design and Synthesis is given in recognition of accomplishment in pure or applied chemistry, as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual and indicated by published or unpublished evidence. “Accomplishment” for the purpose of this Award is understood to be that of a world renown leader of unusual merit, with an emphasis on an individual who has demonstrated broad scoping impact in the areas of chemical synthesis, method development, bio-organic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and/or molecular recognition.

This award is the sister award to the Section’s Baekeland Award. This award is presented in even years, snd it managed by the Organic Topical Group.

Call for nominations:  The ACS North Jersey Section is soliciting nominations for the 2024 Award for Creativity in Molecular Design & Synthesis. The award recognizes initiative, creativity, leadership, and perseverance in pure and/or applied chemistry. Nominees must have had broad impact in the areas of chemical      synthesis, method development, bioorganic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and/or molecular recognition.

Nominations should include a letter describing the nominee’s achievements, a brief biography and curriculum vitae, and a list of the nominee’s important published works. Supporting letters are strongly encouraged.

Please  submit  materials  by  February 29, 2024  to Professor Joseph Badillo: joseph.badillo@shu.edu. The prize consists of a crystal plaque and a $5,000 honorarium.

Past Awards:

2022 – Prof. Carolyn R. Bertozzi
2021 – Prof. Stephen L. Buchwald
2018 – Dr. Anne Weber
2016 – Prof. Eric Jacobsen
2014 – Prof. David MacMillan
2012 – Prof. K.C. Nicolaou
2010 – Prof Dave Evans
2008 – Dr Malcolm MacCoss
2006 – Prof Samual Danishefski

This award is given to a professor from a degree granting Institution in the North Jersey Section for inspiring students and launching them on successful careers in chemistry as manifested by their accomplishments. Awardees are nominated biennially (even years) by their former students and receive a $1,000 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1993 and is funded by Hoffmann LaRoche Company. [ details… (pdf) ] Nominations and nomination form [ docx, pdf ] due by February 28 of even years.

This award is given to a member of the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society for conspicuous service to Section. Awardees are nominated biennially (even years) by the Section and receive a $200 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1978 and is funded by the North Jersey Section.  Nominations are due by February 28 of even years using this form: [ docx, pdf ].

This award recognizes any members of the Section who do not hold an elective office of the Section, but who may be elected by members of Topical Groups, etc., and who participated for at least five years in the management of affairs of the Section with dedication and noticeable success. The award consists of a recognition plaque that is presented at the annual Section Awards Banquet.  Nominations are due by February 28 of even years using this form: [ docx, pdf ].

The Section participates in the National ACS Salutes to Excellence Award program

This recognition award gives ACS members an opportunity to underscore outstanding accomplishments, achievements or service for individuals who have made a positive impact on everyday life. Nationally, since the program began in 2000, more than 500 honorees have received Salutes to Excellence awards. This Award can also be used to recognize a place or organization supporting the work of ACS (in our case the work of the North Jersey Section).

Each ACS Section can submit nominations for this award (we use the information supplied via our standard nomination form [ docx, pdf ] with an annual deadline of February 28. For nominating a place or organization a CV is not required).

ACS awards various National and Regional Awards and the many dedicated chemists in the North Jersey section regularly receive recognition in the form of these awards. The North Jersey Section would like to further acknowledge and recognize these outstanding chemists and Section members.

If you received an ACS Award given by a group other than the North Jersey Section (or know of an awardee) please inform the North Jersey Awards Committee Chair so that the Section can also recognize this achievement.

• NJACS-MSDG sponsors five Mass Spectrometry (Topical Group Awards) awards for the promotion of mass spectrometry in the greater New Jersey region. (including New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware). Visit the Mass Spectrometry page for details.
  • New Jersey Regional Award for Achievements in Mass Spectrometry
  • New Jersey Early Career Award in Mass Spectrometry
  • New Jersey Distinguished Service Award in Mass Spectrometry
  • NJACS-MSDG Student Travel Award
  • NJACS-MSDG Distinguished Lectureship
• The Education Committee of the Section oversees and administers five education awards. Visit the Education Page for details.
  • The Edward J. Merrill Award
  • The E. Emmet Reid Award
  • The Cecil L. Brown Lectureship Award
  • The MARM Award For High School Chemistry Teaching
  • The James Bryant Conant Award
• National and Regional Awards received by North Jersey Section members [ details ]