Royal Australian Chemical Institute

The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) is both the qualifying body in Australia for professional chemists and a learned society promoting the science and practice of chemistry in all its branches. RACI hosts conferences, seminars and workshops. It is the professional body for chemistry in Australia, with the ability to award the status of Chartered Chemist (CChem) to suitably qualified candidates.

History

RACI was formed as the Australian Chemical Institute in Sydney in September 1917. The driving force was David Orme Masson, professor of chemistry at the University of Melbourne. It was incorporated under the Companies Act in New South Wales in 1923. It was given a Royal Charter in 1932, but it was not until a supplementary Royal Charter in 1953 that "Royal" was added to the title of the Institute. It moved to Melbourne in 1934. It was incorporated in Victoria in 2000. The Institute has its office since 1993 at 21 Vale Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051, Australia.

Affiliations

RACI is a member of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) and the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS).

It has branches in all states and territories in Australia and divisions for the following areas of chemistry:

• Analytical chemistry
• Biomolecular chemistry
• Cereal chemistry
• Chemical education
• Colloid and Surface science
• Electrochemistry
• Environment
• Industrial chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Materials
• Organic chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Polymer

In addition to the divisions having organised conferences, they have cooperated in running occasional national conventions since 1953.

Membership

A member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute is designated with the honorific affix "MRACI". As the professional body for chemistry in Australia, the Institute has the ability to award the status of Chartered Chemist ("CChem") to suitably qualified candidates. Election to fellow of the Institute ("FRACI") is dependent on a position of eminence, services rendered, academic honours, experience and status, creative achievement, responsibility and contribution to chemical science, and recommendation by the RACI Assessment Committee. The Institute also accepts student members, associate members, school affiliate members, and industry affiliate members.

Publications

Chemistry in Australia is a magazine sent to all members of the RACI monthly. It contains news, reviews of books and chemical software, reports and reviews aimed at a broad chemical audience. It was established in 1934 as the Journal and Proceedings of the Australian Chemical Institute.

The Chemical Education Division publishes the Australian Journal of Education in Chemistry (ISSN 1445-9698). It was formally called Chemeda: The Australian Journal of Chemical Education. It includes articles on chemical education at all levels in schools and universities, including experiments from the Australasian Chemistry Enhanced Laboratory Learning (ACELL) Project.

Awards

The Institute makes several annual awards including:

The Cornforth Medal for the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted by a member. It is named after the Australian Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, Sir John Cornforth.

The Rennie Memorial Medal for the member of less than 8 years of professional experience since completing their most recent relevant qualification who has contributed most towards the development of some branch of chemical science.

The Ollé Prize for a member of the Institute who submits the "best treatise, writing or paper" on any subject relevant to the Institute's interests.

See also

• Australian Journal of Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

External links

• Official website