The Indianapolis ACS Project SEED Committee welcomes you to our new website.  Please read on and check out all sections for a wealth of inspiration and information about the 2008 Summer Program, as well as photos of the 2007 participants and useful links to other websites.

About Project SEED

2007 Project SEED Poster Session

Parents Viewing  2007 Exhibits

For over 30 years now, the American Chemical Society – Central Indiana Section has been actively involved in providing rewarding summer research experiences to qualified Indianapolis-area high school students under the National  A.C.S. SEED (Summer Experience for the Economically Disadvantaged) Program.  Many local professors and industrial scientists voluntarily open their research labs to local high school students in order to expose them to the scientific research experience.

Students are accepted into the program based on their high school grade transcripts (one year of chemistry is mandatory), written essays, and teacher recommendations.  Those who meet the income guidelines of the A.C.S. National SEED Committee are provided a stipend during the summer; $2,500 for Summer I or $3,000 for returning Summer II participants.  In Indianapolis, other qualified students who do not meet the economic requirements are accepted into our local program (the Indiana A. C. S. Summer Research Program) and can receive a small honorarium in appreciation of their research contributions.

Here in Central Indiana, usually 30-50 completed applications from qualified high school students are received.  In 2007, we accepted 12 into the program.  The program started on June 4th and ended on July 27th – just in time for a week off before many high schools reopened for the Fall semester.  Participants carried out research projects with preceptors at the I. U. Medical School as well as Chemistry labs at Eli Lilly and Company.  Elmer Sanders, a chemistry teacher from Southport High School served as the SEED Summer Coordinator.  He oversaw the students’ work in the labs and provided additional organized activities such as talks and tours throughout the summer.  For example, students had the opportunity to lunch with Brian Mathes, medicinal chemist at Eli Lilly and Company, and Past President of the Central Indiana Section of the American Chemical Society.

At the end of the eight weeks, the students presented the results of their research efforts at a poster session on July 26th,  from 5-7 PM at the I. U. Medical School Van Nuys Medical Science Building where parents and summer lab mates enjoyed the presentations and atmosphere.   Please check out the photos of the participants!

This year the summer research interns had the exceptional opportunity to travel to Boston for the fall  national meeting of the American Chemical Society.  Pictures from this trips will be posted here soon, including  the presentations on the convention floor and a day trip Cape Cod and the town of Hyannis where they visited President John Kennedy's memorial.

Thanks to our Sponsors

Project SEED cannot run without the generous support of our Committee volunteers and local scientists and their lab colleagues who do not receive any monetary support from Project SEED, and yet, year after year, provide stimulating educational environments to our young scientists-in-training.  We certainly recognize the long-standing support in the form of monetary donations from Eli Lilly & Co., Dow Agrosciences, and the Indiana A.C.S. Local Section.  We also appreciate the generosity of one of our preceptors, Professor Lynn Willis (--), who made a generous donation of $2500; this money will support one student in 2007.  Finally, we are grateful to the I.U.P.U.I. School of Science administrators and staff for their in-kind support of our program during the year.

Read On!

More Info

For a comprehensive national evaluation of 30 years of Project SEED,  please see the 1996 report on the National ACS Project SEED website below.  You can be sure this program does have a very positive influence on these young people.

National ACS Project SEED        Science Education Foundation of Indiana        Intel Science & Engineering Fair