Green Chemistry Resources

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Research in EPA laboratories

In addition to funding green chemistry research by outside researchers, EPA carries out green chemistry research in its own laboratories and shares its innovative methods and tools with chemical and fuel manufacturers and their customers through cooperative agreements and technology licenses. Results of EPA's technology transfer include:

  • Reduced waste generation
  • Less costly end-of-pipe treatments
  • Inherently safer processes and products
  • Less use of energy and non-renewable resources
  • Improved competitiveness

EPA is currently focusing its green chemistry research on catalysis, green synthesis, and process intensification.

Also see our Safer Chemicals Research website.

Tools 

Green Chemistry Assistant (GCA) Exit, a Web application currently under development at St. Olaf College, is based on the Synthetic Methodology Assessment for Reduction.
 
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute® Exitprovides free tools Exit, including a solvent selection guide and process mass intensity calculator.
 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard Exit to reduce the hazardous waste profile in research labs.

Literature

The Rand Corporation report "Next Generation Environmental Technologies: Benefits and Barriers" Exitfocuses on the redesign of manufacturing processes and products at the molecular level to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials. This report puts these technologies in context and assesses their benefits. The appendix includes 25 existing technologies from early research to full use in profitable businesses.

Education

Resources developed in part by EPA

EPA and the ACS have cooperated to develop educational materials on green chemistry including case studies and laboratory modules aimed mostly at undergraduate and graduate students. The ACS green chemistry educational resources website includes these materials, as well as resources for professional chemists, K-12 students, and the general public. ExitACS is also revising many of its existing materials to include green chemistry. 

Resources developed by others

Beyond Benign Exitis a nonprofit organization that promotes green chemistry to industry, academia, and the general public. Beyond Benign specializes in curriculum development, education, and training.

Green Chemistry Education Network (GC Ed Net) Exitis a network of educators that integrates green chemistry into chemical education at all levels. GC Ed Net supports opportunities to research, develop, implement, and disseminate green educational materials. The GC Ed Net reaches out to all chemistry educators through collaboration and mentoring, facilitating professional growth, and fostering the synergistic integration of green chemistry in education.

Greener Education Materials for Chemists (GEMS) Exitis a comprehensive, interactive database of green chemistry education materials, including laboratory exercises, lecture materials, course syllabi and multimedia content. Users can search the database by chemistry concepts, laboratory techniques, green chemistry principles, target audiences, and other descriptors.

The University of Scranton Green Chemistry Website  Exitoffers a variety of resources to help educators incorporate green chemistry into their chemistry classes.

Institutions with green chemistry education programs

The ACS maintains a  list of schools with green chemistry programsExit

The New England Consortium (TNEC), Exitbased in the Center for Health Promotion and Research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is a worker health and safety training organization that includes training in green chemistry.

Student Internships in EPA's Green Chemistry Program

EPA's Green Chemistry Program offers volunteer internships for undergraduate or graduate students at United States' colleges and universities. Interns learn about a wide variety of real-world, cutting-edge technologies in green chemistry. Internships may be available for the month of January, an academic semester or quarter, or summer. Interested students may contact the program at greenchemistry@epa.gov.
 

Paid fellowships are available for undergraduate students under the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) program funded by EPA's Office of Research and Development. In general, students may submit applications during the fall of their sophomore year in college. Students may use these fellowships to join EPA's Green Chemistry Program for the summer.

Awards and fellowships

Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry

Dr. Kenneth G. Hancock, director of the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Exit, was one of the earliest proponents of green chemistry. After his sudden death in 1993, his colleagues established the annual Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in green chemistry for undergraduate and graduate students. Additional information and the application package for the Hancock Awards Exit are available from the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®  Exit, which administers the awards.

Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship in Green Chemistry

Dr. Joseph Breen played a major role in creating the Design for the Environment and Green Chemistry Programs at EPA. Dr. Breen was a founder of the worldwide green chemistry movement and the first director of the Green Chemistry Institute, now part of ACS. Following his death in 1999, the ACS and the ACS Green Chemistry Institute® established the Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowships to allow young international green chemistry scholars to participate in a green chemistry technical meeting, conference, or training program. The ACS Green Chemistry Institute® website Exit contains application information for the Breen Fellowships Exit.

Key external organizations involved in green chemistry

The American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute®  Exitworks both in the United States and internationally to expand the use of green chemistry. It has been an active partner with EPA's Green Chemistry Program for many years.

The Great Lakes Green Chemistry Network Exitperforms targeted education, outreach and green chemistry program support and coordination in eight Great Lakes States (IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, WI). This organization also provides monthly national green chemistry webinars. 

The Michigan Green Chemistry Clearinghouse Exitmaintains a list of green chemistry organizations.

National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) Safer Chemistry Challenge Program Exitis working to promote green chemistry, safer alternatives and chemical analyses nationwide. Several states are involved, as are multiple green chemistry nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and providers. 

The Network of Early-Career Sustainable Scientists and Engineers (NESSE) Exitdeveloped out of the ACS Green Chemistry Summer School in 2013 and launched as a nonprofit in 2014. They aim to give early career researches a place to connect, find resources and share experiences with a global network. 

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