Thirty-five Project SEED college scholarships have been awarded to high school graduates for the 2000 academic school year under a program sponsored by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. The scholarships are for up to $5,000 and for one year.
Project SEED (Summer Educational Experience for the Disadvantaged) was established in 1968 to encourage students to pursue careers in the sciences. It provides economically disadvantaged students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research with scientists in colleges, universities, industry and government. To date, over 4,000 students throughout the United States have conducted scientific research in 320 chemistry laboratories.
To be eligible for a Project SEED scholarship, a high school student must complete a chemistry course and be recommended by a high school science teacher. In addition, students applying for these scholarships must work at least one summer at a science institute under the auspices of Project SEED.
Project SEED scholarships are made possible by donations from Glenn and Barbara Ullyot, a former chemist with Smith, Kline & French Laboratories and an official of the American Chemical Society, respectively; Alfred Bader, a founder of the Alrich Chemical Company, and his wife, Isabel; the estate of Carroll T. Kirchner, a DuPont chemist for 42 years; the Bayer Corporation; the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, a private foundation; and Kelly Scientific Resources, a division of Kelly Services.