The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) supports advanced scientific education and fundamental research in the petroleum field. The PRF offers Type AC grants to support new scientific ideas for established scientists and engineers. The PRF has noted that a large percentage of AC proposals are now “continuation” proposals that seek additional funding for extant projects, instead of new, unexplored research projects.
The PRF issued new application forms for Type AC grants on April 30, 2007 and now requires principal investigators to provide a one-page description of what has been done previously in their area of research and then provide a description of how and why the work in the submitted proposal is “new.” Beginning with proposals submitted for consideration at the Winter 2008 PRF Advisory Board meeting, AC proposals that are deemed as ongoing research will be disqualifed.
