Chemistry Scholarships

Chemistry—it doesn’t attract hordes of students. Many are afraid of it and many others, contend some sources, are not given a fair shake or even the opportunity to try out the sciences. Chemistry scholarships are abundant and here are some tips for identifying the best.

Popular sources for Chemistry scholarships:

  • Government sources
  • Colleges and universities
  • Private and professional sources

Minority Scholarship Opportunities in Chemistry

Like other science majors minority students tackling Chemistry degrees have big scholarship advantages. Why? Diversity is the buzzword of the 21st century. Traditionally the field of Chemistry – in whatever capacity –has been under represented with minorities AND women.

All the sources listed below are fertile ground for minority-specific free money.

Government Scholarships for Chemistry Students

Federal and state governments tend to be big proponents for students in the sciences and tech areas. STEM scholarships- which include chemistry awards- are popular tools for attracting new students to the natural sciences.

  • The federally-funded Barry Goldwater Scholarships are designed to reward outstanding students seeking natural science and math degrees with stellar scholarship money—to the tune of $7,500 annually. Very competitive, prestigious, and popular program.
  • The Department of Energy sponsors a massive number of scholarships, fellowships and paid internships. Students in undergraduate and graduate chemistry programs pursuing a specialty related to the DOE, may qualify for government funds.
  • The Department of Homeland Security’s scholarships are specially designed as incentive to talented undergrads and grads. Candidates for these awards may be studying in a wide range of fields and interdisciplinary specialties. Of particular interest to Chemistry majors may be these DHS interests: chemical warfare/threats, biological threats, and explosives. The majority of scholarships/fellowships are awarded to graduate students. Funds are attached to a service contract. If you receive funds you must work for at least one year in the DHS following your graduation. Grad students receive full tuition plus $2,300 per month stipends. Undergraduate recipients win full tuition scholarships plus $1,000 per month stipend.

Private and Professional Sources

Students studying in the natural sciences have a wealth of eager corporations to snag new talent. At the same time numerous professional associations and societies are fertile territory for funding, particularly for students at the graduate and doctoral levels. Examples:

  • The American Chemical Society maintains a database of internship and fellowship opportunities available for Chem students, many of them sponsored by major corporations.
  • Merck Index Women in Chemistry Scholarships are $5,000 prizes awarded to students at the PhD level. Qualified women must be specializing in “synthetic organic chemistry.”
  • Food chemistry students entering a graduate program: check out the Teranishi Graduate Fellowship sponsored by the American Chemical Society. This $2,500 research award is designed for a talented and exceptional graduate student pursuing Food Chemistry studies.
  • The American Association of Clinical Chemistry supports students at every level of education. The organization sponsors a number of valuable travel and research scholarships.