Nano Letters Seed Grants

Nano Letters and ACS Publications are excited to announce the 2026 Nano Letters Seed Grants competition for the best research proposal ideas from students globally. This opportunity is only open to later-stage graduate students (e.g., third year and beyond) who will be awarded US $2,500 to carry out the proposed work. The proposal must build on current expertise and should be high-risk, high-reward. Both fundamental and translational nanoscience proposals are welcome.

Proposal Overview and Evaluation

The Seed Grants proposal is limited to two pages in length and must include a title, research aims, proposed work, figures, references, and a short budget justification. A one-page CV is also required.

Proposals will be evaluated by Nano Letters Associate Editors in three equally-weighted categories:

• Significance: Does the proposal address a significant problem or critical barrier to progress?
• Innovation and Impact: Does the proposal present a creative, “out-of-the-box” scientific vision and solution and will the results have a positive impact on the scientific community?
• Synergy: Does the proposal align with the Nano Letters mission?

Regions & Deadlines

There will be a total of four awards, each highlighting a different region around the world:

1. North America
2. East Asia
3. Europe and Australia
4. South/Central America, South Asia, and Africa

The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2026.

Winning Proposals

Awardees will be announced after the submission deadline. In addition to the honorarium, awardees will be asked to write a short Perspective.

How to Submit

To access the appropriate submission form, click here or visit the link below.

If you have specific questions, please send them to Questions About Nano Letters Seed Grants.