Division of Organic Chemistry (DOC)
Support for Symposia at ACS National Meetings – for 2015
Type of Symposium
DOC Support
Award Symposium
$4000 maximum
DOC – initiated topic
$4000 maximum*
Organizer – initiated topic
$4000 maximum*
* – For each half-day session
If an organizer is successful in raising outside money, checks from the donor should be made out to Division of
Organic Chemistry – ACS and sent to:
Professor Barry Snider, Secretary-Treasurer DOC
Department of Chemistry MS 015
Brandeis University
415 South Street
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
Note that the Division's tax ID is #52-6056409. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
Please call or e-mail Professor Snider (781-736-2550, snider@brandeis.edu) if a donor wishes wish to transfer
funds electronically, or you need to discuss the financial arrangements or are seeking PRF funding. If you have
foreign speakers, you may want to apply for a ACS-PRF Type SE grant for the symposium.
Reimbursements for Speakers at DOC Symposia at National ACS Meetings:
o
Academic speakers are eligible for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses, which will depend
upon the amount of funds raised by the symposium organizer. For example, a typical reimbursement
for an academic speaker would include:

Travel – Non-Refundable round trip coach airfare to the meeting (usually up to $500).

Registration – ACS members are expected to take advantage of early registration. Please note
that a cheaper one-day registration is available if the speaker will only be at the meeting for the
day of the symposium. Foreign non-members are also eligible for the higher fees.

Accommodation – Two night’s stay in a hotel (please choose one from the ACS list, if possible).

Miscellaneous – Other reasonable expenses (taxi, tolls, etc.), but not meals, during the trip.
o
Industrial speakers are typically not eligible for reimbursement, however in some unusual
circumstances, some limited reimbursement may be allowable.
o
Speakers working for the government or a non-profit institution are eligible for reimbursement.
o
Reimbursement amount outside the guidelines is at the discretion of the session organizer and
Divisional Secretary/Treasurer.
o
Total amount eligible for reimbursement for a single session up to $4000 (see above).
o
Symposium organizers are eligible for reimbursement within the above guidelines (and so long as they
are an academic).
o
The symposium organizer will collect all original receipts from the speakers, and submit them to their
contact on the organic long range planning committee using the reimbursement form found on the
organic division website: http://organicdivision.org/
Division of Organic Chemistry (DOC)
o
The symposium organizer may also take the symposium speakers out to a luncheon or dinner during
the ACS meeting if there is sufficient funding. Since case reports to the donors of expenditures are
often required, these should not exceed $150 per person or $1250 per symposium session. The
Division’s Executive Committee should approve amounts in excess of these guidelines in advance.
Any funds that are raised by the organizer are technically donated to the DOC, which formally funds the
symposia at the National Meetings. Symposium organizers should manage the overall expenses for their
symposium on behalf of the DOC, so please be sure to let the speakers understand the guidelines
before the symposium to avoid misunderstandings.
As an organizer, it is your responsibility to determine the distribution of available funds. This is critical when
there are not enough funds to pay all of the expenses encumbered by invited speakers. In this case, you must
indicate to the Secretary/Treasurer the level of partial reimbursements to be accorded to each speaker.
Guidelines for DOC Symposia Proposals at National ACS Meetings:
o
Proposals are due approximately ONE year prior to the meeting where the session is requested.
These dates will be posted on the organic division website: http://organicdivision.org/
o
For all future ACS national meetings, the due date for proposals will be July 15 for the following year’s
Fall meeting and February 15 for the following year’s Spring meeting.
o
Proposals should be a maximum of ONE page (12 point font, 0.5 inch margins).
o
The proposal must contain (see below for template):

A symposium title.

A paragraph stating the idea behind the proposal, why it is timely, how this symposium will
differ from those recently given at ACS, and why the Division of Organic Chemistry is the most
appropriate forum for this symposium.

The proposed meeting (Spring or Fall ACS) for the symposium to occur. Please note that due
to the large number of Award Symposia held during the spring meeting, limited slots are
available. A larger number of slots are available during the fall meeting. Also indicate your
willingness to organize this symposium at a different (later) time than originally proposed.

A list of potential speakers, preferably with tentative titles (4-6 speakers is a typical number
submitted).

The names of several alternative speakers for the session should be included.


The speaker’s status should be listed as outlined in the template below.
The Executive Committee values proposals that reflect the diversity of interests and
membership in the Division of Organic Chemistry, including representation from
academics and industry, established and beginning investigators, and groups
historically underrepresented in the profession.

Please use the template provided for the proposal.

E-mail proposals to jeffrey.n.johnston@vanderbilt.edu
o
Proposals will usually be considered for a half-day session only.
o
If the organizer is requesting a full day session, a separate ONE-paragraph justification should be
included (not part of the ONE page limit) for why this topic requires more time and should be given
consideration as a full day symposium.