CAS Future Leaders

Join a group of elite Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars from around the world to take the next steps in your leadership journey.

This year's call for applications is now closed. Learn about our 2023 CAS Future Leaders in March!

Join a group of elite Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars from around the world to take the next steps in your leadership journey. 

This year's call for applications is now closed. Learn about our 2023 CAS Future Leaders in March!

CAS Future Leaders Program 2022

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. 


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


2023 Program Benefits

Expense-paid trip to CAS Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio
August 7-12, 2023
Expense-paid trip to ACS Fall 2023 in San Francisco, California
August 13-17, 2023
$1,000 USD
3-year ACS membership
Profile featured in C&EN (20182019, and 2022 articles)
Complimentary registration for the National Meeting
Opportunity to present your research at the National Meeting
Complimentary registration for an ACS Professional and Leadership Development course at the National Meeting
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 2023) or postdoctoral scholar in chemistry or related science, with a working knowledge of multiple research information tools. 

How do you define “postdoctoral scholar”?

We consider a postdoctoral scholar as an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue their chosen career path.

Join our global network of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in chemistry and related sciences.

260 alumni
35 countries/regions

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!

2022 CAS Future Leaders

Celebrating its 12th year, the CAS Future Leaders program awards early-career scientists with leadership training and a trip to the ACS National Meeting & Exposition. This year’s participants were selected among hundreds of applicants, representing 10 countries and a wide array of scientific disciplines. Congratulations to our 2022 class:

Salma Ahmed, University of Queensland, Australia
Ernest Awoonor-Williams, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, United States
Progna Banerjee, Argonne National Laboratory, United States
Magda Helena Barecka, Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), Singapore
Laura Bickerton, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Kurtis Carsch, University of California, Berkeley, United States
Steven Crossley, University of California, Berkeley, United States
Jacky Deng, University of Ottawa, Canada
Silvina Analía Di Pietro, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), United States
Stanna K. Dorn, Indiana University-Bloomington, United States
Liang Feng, Northwestern University, United States
Ikuya Fujii, Kyoto University, Japan
Sylvia Hanna, Northwestern University, United States
Kevin Maik Jablonka, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Elisabeth Kreidt, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
Gabriele Laudadio, Scripps Research Institute, United States
Richard Liu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Rajat Maji, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Germany
Helena Mannochio Russo, São Paulo State University, Brazil
Erin J. Peterson, Duke University, United States
Aleksandra Popowich, Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States
Dylan Sherman, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Jinwoo Shin, Korea University, South Korea
Julio Terra, McGill University, Canada
Olivia Harper Wilkins, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, United States
Ashley Woolfork, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Saigopalakrishna Yerneni, Carnegie Mellon University, United States
Maha Yusuf, Stanford University, United States
Ruijie Zhang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States