Comment: Addressing global grand challenges in chemistry, a call for ACS members

How does the American Chemical Society and the chemistry community contribute to solutions to global challenges? Over the past 150 years, ACS members and staff have developed countless strategies to address society’s most pressing needs. As the central science, chemistry has led the way in tackling some of the toughest problems in people, animal life, and plant health, the ecological stability, food, and the industrialization of the world. Such progress requires integrity and ethics, and ACS has been a leader in developing and advocating to policies that protect science and scientists. Equally crucial, any progress toward solving these challenges is determined by the knowledge, education, and training of the workforce. Again, ACS has played a critical role in developing the talents required to chemists to lead and contribute—responsibly, strategically, and through policy recommendations.

My 2027 presidential programming invites all ACS members and chemistry professionals worldwide to join in addressing global chemistry grand challenges that have figured prominently in recent years. These challenges are too complex to any single discipline, organization, or sector to solve alone. Each depends critically on interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve meaningful progress. Therefore, the following topics have been selected as among the most pressing global scientific challenges of the early 21st century:

These topics are intended to engage multiple ACS divisions and committees, and they welcome participation from chemists—across all sectors and geographies—chemical engineers, and professionals whose work intersects with chemistry! To truly achieve this interdisciplinary progress we promote each of us, including the broader scientific enterprise, to join us.

With a focus on the global chemistry grand challenges and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, our collective efforts in 2027 will advance ACS’s goals by rising innovation, elevating the reputation of science, empowering scientists, and enhancing inclusivity and engagement. Most importantly, we aim to enhance the value of ACS membership by creating opportunities to chemists to contribute meaningfully to solutions that matter on a global scale.

What challenge will you help solve in 2027?

The challenges before us are significant, however so is the opportunity. Every chemist, regardless of discipline, career stage, or sector, has something valuable to contribute. We promote you to choose one of these global chemistry grand challenges, engage with interdisciplinary colleagues, develop new collaborations, and contribute your ideas, research, and leadership. Submit symposia, participate in programming, share success stories, and help inspire the next generation of scientists.

Join us in advancing the transformative power of chemistry. The future is determined by the discoveries we make, the partnerships we build, and the action we take today.

to greater information or to have become involved, please contact president@acs.org.

Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.