The fields of chemical sciences, chemical engineering, and chemical technology are essential to the future prosperity of Canada and the entire world. The CIC Chemical Education Fund (CEF) is a registered charity set up to promote education in these fields.
The CEF funds educational activities, awards, and research and directly benefits the chemical science professionals of the future, and the general public.
Objectives of the CEF
The goals of the CEF are to:
- Advance education in chemical sciences, chemical engineering, chemical technology and related disciplines. The CEF does this through outreach activities to promote the chemical sciences, including seminars and conferences, and by developing educational materials. The CEF also supports excellent education work carried out by other groups. All of these activities benefit the students and future students of chemistry-related fields, as well as the general public.
- Encourage excellence in chemistry-related disciplines by awarding scholarships, bursaries, prizes, and other honours and providing funding to academic institutions.
- Carry out or promote research in chemistry-related disciplines and share the results of the research with the general public.
Apply for Funding
Do you have a great educational project you’d like to start? It’s important to apply for CEF funding well in advance (please see below).
Please review these documents to get an idea of the specific types of projects the CEF funds, and for complete instructions on sending in your application:
The deadline to apply to the CEF for project funding is December 31 of the year prior to that in which support is being requested.
Examples of funding include:
- Bringing chemistry to remote communities such as Labrador
- Creating projects to excite students about chemistry – like “Timeline of the Elements”
- Awards such as the CIC Award for Chemical Education and CIC Award for High School/Cégep Chemistry Teachers for academic excellence and achievement by high school teachers, undergraduates and graduate students
- Publications or outreach courses with educational content which help to improve public awareness of chemistry
- The E. Gordon Young Lectureship
- Prizes for student presenters at regional student chemistry conferences
- Student competitions such as the Robert G. Auld Oral Paper Competition and essay contests
View the complete list of 2023 CEF grant recipients
Lionel Chemistry Scholarship
- The Lionel Chemistry Scholarship assists high-achieving high school students who would not otherwise be able to attend university or college without significant financial assistance
- Please review the The Lionel Chemistry Scholarship Terms of Reference for information on how to apply.
The deadline to apply for the Lionel Chemistry Scholarship is March 1 of each year.
Ways to Donate to the CEF
Donations to the CEF can be directed in two ways:
- Donation to the CIC Chemical Education Fund to be used to support annual grants that are awarded by the CEF Board to projects that align to the objectives and grant criteria of the CEF.
- Donation to one of the established funds listed below:
Beaumier Fund
The Beaumier Award for High School/CEGEP Chemistry Teachers recognizes excellence in teaching chemistry at the high school or Cégep level and encourages and promotes chemistry in Canada.
Norman and Marion Bright Memorial Fund
The Norman and Marion Bright Memorial Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution, in Canada, to the furtherance of chemical technology. This is an annual award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry.
D.G. Fisher Fund
The D. G. Fisher Award recognizes an individual who has made substantial contributions in the field of systems and control engineering. This is an annual CSChE award of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering.
Lionel Scholarship Fund
The Lionel Chemistry Scholarship assists high school students wanting to study chemistry, biochemistry or chemical engineering at a postsecondary institution, who would not otherwise be able to attend without significant financial assistance.
Robert G. Auld Fund
The Robert G. Auld Student Paper Competition recognizes chemical engineering excellence of technical papers presented by chemical engineering undergraduate students at the annual Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference.
Margaret-Ann Armour Early Career Chemistry Education Fund
The Margaret-Ann Armour Early Career Chemistry Education Award, subject to sufficient endowment, will be a mark of recognition to an early career educator who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to undergraduate education at the post-secondary level in the chemical sciences, chemical engineering, or chemical technology.