Call for Abstracts
The ACS Committee on International Activities (IAC) invites abstracts for the symposium “Chemistry for Life in Africa: Safe Water, Clean Energy, Healthy Futures” at the ACS Spring 2026 Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The symposium is being organized by IAC member and ACS Nigeria International Chapter Chair, Prof. Edu J. Inam.
We seek contributions that translate chemical science into practical impact across six pillars:
(i) Water (hybrid sorbents/photocatalysts; antimicrobial strategies; PFAS/microplastics; gravity-fed or solar-assisted devices)
(ii) Energy (biomass-to-fuels, renewables, CO₂ utilization, battery materials, green hydrogen, electrochemical manufacturing)
(iii) Health (novel drugs materials, point-of-care diagnostics, low-cost sensors, safe-by-design pathways)
(iv) Agriculture (biopesticides and nano-delivery, post-harvest protection, nutrient cycling)
(v) Environment (oil-spill/soil remediation, circular polymers, air chemistry, waste valorization)
(vi) Cross-cutting submissions on AI/ML, open hardware/affordable analytics, LCA/TEA, standards, and policy-to-practice are welcome.
Abstracts should:
(i) State the problem and African use-case
(ii) Describe methods and performance metrics (e.g., removal efficiencies, energy/cost per unit, durability/regeneration)
(iii) Outline deployment pathways (manufacturability, supply chains, safety, regulatory considerations). Field data, pilot/column studies, and validation under realistic matrices will be prioritized.
Presentation formats include invited and contributed talks. We strongly encourage submissions from students, early-career researchers, women, and underrepresented groups, and from teams spanning university–industry–government–NGO collaborations.
Please submit via email to [email protected] by 17 November 2025, authors/affiliations, a 200–300-word abstract, 3–5 keywords, and a brief note on anticipated impact. For inquiries or to propose a focused sub-session, contact the organizers at [email protected].
