Membership: More than 161,000
Journals: 47
Chemical Abstracts Records: More than 41 million
CAS REGISTRY Organic & Inorganic Substances: More than 94 million
ACS Journal Article Downloads: 83 million
Petroleum Research Grants: $25.1 million
Academic Institutions Using SciFinder: 2,206
Employees: 1,978
With more than 161,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemistry enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe. We strive to be a force for good.
We are dynamic and visionary, committed to “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.”
This vision ─ developed and adopted by the ACS Board of Directors after broad consultation with the membership ─ fully complements the ACS Mission statement, which is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” Together, these two statements represent our ultimate reason for being and provide a strategic framework for our efforts.
The Society publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. We also give more than $22 million every year in grants for basic research in petroleum and related fields.
We also play a leadership role in educating and communicating with public policy makers and the general public about the importance of chemistry in our lives. This includes identifying new solutions, improving public health, protecting the environment and contributing to the economy.
ACS has 187 local sections (chapters) throughout the United States. Local sections allow members to:
The Society offers members the opportunity to participate in 33 specialty divisions, ranging from food and agriculture to industrial and engineering chemistry. These divisions help members:
Twice annually, ACS sponsors national meetings ─ five days of symposia, tutorials, and poster sessions that cover every area of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences. Short courses with renowned instructors, workshops, divisional and committee meetings and other related sessions also occur at national meetings.
The Society’s international membership exceeds 24,000 and represents more than 100 countries.
More than 60 percent of the articles published in ACS journals and more than half of the material covered in the Society’s Chemical Abstracts Service ─ the world’s most comprehensive source of chemical and scientific information ─ originates outside the United States.
ACS sponsors or promotes a number of international activities such as joint conferences with chemical societies in India and other countries, and the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (PacifiChem), a weeklong scientific meeting, held once every five years in conjunction with ACS counterparts in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and China.
ACS works to improve the world through other initiatives including: