Future Leaders Program

Why You Should Apply

Advance Your Career and Make Meaningful Impacts in Science

The CAS Future Leaders program awards early-career scientists with leadership training and a trip to the ACS National Meeting & Exposition, one of the most respected scientific meetings in the world. 

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Connections

Invaluable networking opportunities with peer scientists and renowned leaders

Perspectives

Inspiration from science-industry thought leaders, entrepreneurs and professional communicators

Insights

Exclusive leadership training and access to the expertise behind CAS SciFinderⁿ, the world’s premier scientific information solution

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2022 Program Benefits

Expense-paid trip to CAS Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio August 15-20, 2022

Expense-paid trip to ACS Fall 2022 in Chicago, Illinois August 21-25, 2022

$1,000 USD

1-year CAS SciFindern access

3-year ACS membership

Profile featured in C&EN (2018 and 2019 articles)

Complimentary registration for the National Meeting

NEW! Opportunity to present your research at the National Meeting

NEW! Complimentary registration for an ACS Professional and Leadership Development course at the National Meeting

NEW! Lifetime membership in the CAS Future Leaders Alumni Community

Testimonials

"Beyond learning life lessons and skills from top leaders in the chemical industry, participating in Future Leaders gave me the opportunity to connect with inspiring scientists from all over the world, creating strong friendships with remarkable individuals who continue to be a source of support and motivation long after finishing the program."

—César A. Urbina-Blanco (2018), C&EN

"For a group of young scientists, strangers to one another, working in such diverse areas of chemical sciences, we connected on a level that no one had ever expected."
—Felicia Lim (2018), CAS Blog

"Being part of the Future Leaders transforms your life. You never forget the moment you get that email from CAS. But more importantly, you never forget the people you meet during the program."
—Fernando Gomollon Bel (2014), CAS Blog

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible to apply? 

You must be a current Ph.D. student (or plan to be enrolled in a Ph.D. program in 2022) or postdoctoral scholar in chemistry or related science, with a working knowledge of multiple research information tools. 

How do you define “postdoctoral scholar”?

We broadly define postdoctoral scholars as those who are in an early period of mentored training following the completion of their doctoral studies.

Contact Us

Questions about the CAS Future Leaders program? See our FAQ and Terms & Conditions or email the CAS Future Leaders team.

Not a Ph.D. student or postdoctoral scholar? Download our printable flyer to share with someone you know!

2020 CAS Future Leaders

Due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we postponed the 2020 CAS Future Leaders program (and cancelled the 2021 program). Our goal for the 2020 class is to provide the safest and best possible virtual and in-person experience early next year in conjunction with ACS Spring 2022.

The 2020 CAS Future Leaders were selected among hundreds of applicants and represent 18 countries and a wide array of scientific disciplines. Congratulations to our 2020 class:

Shuangshuang Chen, Tongji University, China

Camila Manoel Crnkovic, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Carina Isabel Correia Crucho, Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

Maria Emilia Dueñas, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Parinaz Fathi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States

Aurelien Forget, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany

Fun Man Fung, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Carol Hua, University of Melbourne, Australia

David Chukwuma Izuogu, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Safia Jilani, Georgetown University, United States

Pamela Johnson, University of Kansas, United States

Yu Kitazawa, Shinshu University, Japan

Johnny W. Lee, Stony Brook University, United States

Caitlin E. Miron, McGill University, Canada

Monica L. Ohnsorg, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States

Nicholas Orchanian, University of Southern California, United States

Fatemeh Ostadhossein, Stanford University, United States

Rebecca Pinals, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Cassandra Reese, Los Alamos National Laboratory, United States

Andrew S. Rosen, Northwestern University, United States

Ekundayo Stephen Samuel, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Mohit Saraf, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

Nadja A. Simeth, University of Groningen, Netherlands

Makeda Tekle-Smith, Princeton University, United States

Zachary Thammavongsy, Chapman University, United States

Agnes Eva Thorarinsdottir, Harvard University, United States

Joshua Tropp, University of Southern Mississippi, United States

Rosa Vásquez, University of Michigan, United States

Juliana Ladeira Vidal, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Jonathan Wojciechowski, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

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