The purpose of the Beckman Scholars Program is to help stimulate, encourage, and support research activities by talented, full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing their studies at accredited four-year colleges and universities located in the United States of America. These research activities shall be centered in either chemistry, biochemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects. Candidates for the Beckman Scholars Award must be full-time students throughout the duration of the award.
The research activities performed by Beckman Scholars shall be conducted under the guidance of a full-time, approved science faculty member at the college or university receiving an award. Research activities must be performed part-time (ten hours per week) during one academic year, and full-time over two summers (ten 40-hour weeks each summer) immediately before and after the academic year research experience. The continuity of the research experience is important to the Foundation, and alternatives to this “summer – academic year – summer” schedule will not be considered.
Students will be named as Beckman Scholars in the spring of either their freshman, sophomore, or junior year at their college or university. Once selected to be a Beckman Scholar, a student will retain the award for 15 consecutive months, if the student continues to excel academically and continues to perform research work within their mentor’s lab. Beckman Scholar funds provided to any one student may not exceed two summers and one academic year. Beckman Scholar’s may use their second summer funds during the summer following graduation.
Beckman Scholar awards are institutional (university or college) awards and only one active award at an institution will be funded at a time. For the 2026 Program, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation changed the program from invite-only to an open call. Current awardee institutions in year three of their Beckman Scholar Award are eligible to apply; awardee institutions in year one or year two of their existing award are not eligible to apply for the 2026 program year.
Each institution may submit one application for consideration for an award.
Deadlines:
- Duke Internal Deadline: April 13, 2025
- Sponsor Deadline: June 13, 2025
Universities/colleges will be eligible for one institutional Beckman Scholar Award, which must be used over a three-year period. Each institutional Beckman Scholar Award will fund a total of six Beckman Scholars (with funding for student stipends, institutional contact funds, travel funds, and mentor research supplies) extending over two summers and one academic year. Awardee institutions will name two Scholars in each year of the three-year institutional award term, for a total of six Scholars.
- Each institution may submit one application for consideration for an award and must meet the Foundation’s requirement as a 501(c)(3), or similarly qualifying, non-profit organization (IRS Determination Letter/Federal Tax ID required).
- Current awardee institutions that will be entering into their third (final) year of the program are eligible to apply.
- Must have a Science Department in either biology, chemistry, or both.
- Accredited four-year college or university in the U.S.
- Service academies and government laboratories, such as NIH or federally funded national laboratories, are not eligible institutions.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR MENTORS:
- Be an assistant professor, associate professor, or professor in a science department such as biology, chemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects.
- Actively support undergraduate research.
- Must provide continuous mentorship over the 15-month Scholar award term.
- Identified as one of the mentors on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (FMDS).
- Both junior and senior faculty members are eligible.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARS:
- Undergraduate students must be pursuing a degree in chemistry, biochemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects.
- Undergraduate students with unique pathways to studies in STEM are encouraged.
- Must commit to 15-months of continuous research at the college or university (summer, academic year, summer).
- Must be a full-time undergraduate student throughout the duration of the award and must maintain good academic standing.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident of the United States or its possessions, or hold DACA recipient status.
- Have a stated interest to pursue and communicate scientific research, such as through an advanced degree in science or engineering (e.g., PhD, MD or MD/PhD), or other STEM pursuits.
- Be interested in pursuing leadership roles in their scientific and professional journey.
Each Beckman Scholar will pursue an independent research project, under the guidance of an approved Mentor who is included on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet in the original application package to the Foundation. The amount of funding for the 2026 Beckman Scholars Program is $26,000 per Scholar; $21,000 specifically for the Scholar, $4,800 for the Scholar’s Mentor and $200 for the Institutional Contact.
The following provides a breakdown of each Beckman Scholar award:
- Student Stipend $18,200; per student, distributed as follows:
- First summer - $6,800
- Academic Year - $4,600
- Second summer - $6,800
- Scientific Supplies and Travel $2,800; per student, distributed as needed to support current research activities. Can be used to support travel, materials and supplies purchases, graduate school application fees, and other activities that support the Scholar’s research and their transition into future training positions.
- Mentor Research Funds $4,800; per student, distributed as needed during the associated Scholar’s award term to support the following, but not limited to:
- Execution of the Scholar Mentorship Plan (SMP), which should include:
- Outlining the Scholar/Mentor relationship
- Detailing the collaboration between scholar, mentor, and mentor’s lab
- Defining the expectations of the Beckman Scholar, including but not limited to:
- Attendance at outside presentations/scientific symposia with the Mentor
- Pursuit of research publication and presentation by the Scholar and Mentor
- Outlining the anticipated results of the Scholar’s research
- Mentor/Scholar Travel - to support attendance with, or for, the Scholar at outside scientific symposia.
- Scientific Supplies - related to the Scholar’s research.
- Publication Fees - for publishing in undergraduate and peer-reviewed publications related to the Scholar’s research.
- Execution of the Scholar Mentorship Plan (SMP), which should include:
- Institutional Contact Fund: $200; per student, distributed as needed during the associated Scholar’s award term to support the following, including but not limited to: opportunities to engage with the Scholars, such as coffee, lunch speaker series, or similar activities.
The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation does not provide for overhead or for indirect costs. Institutions may not fund additional or “matching” Beckman Scholars.
2008 - 2009 Beckman Scholars
Tessa Carducci
Title of Research: Characterization of Metal Ion Binding to Amiloid-ß and α-Synuclein
Zachary Perret
Title of Research: Computer-Based Modeling of Shaped Pulses in Scattering Media
2007 - 2008 Beckman Scholars
Syrone Liu
Title of Research: Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Functional Biomedical Scaffolds
Daniel Yang
Title of Research: Development of Metal complexes as Photo-Triggered Chemotherapy Agents
2006 - 2007 Beckman Scholars
William B. Hudson
Title of Research: Olefins using Nitrogen Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs)
Arnav Mehta
Title of Research: Selective Transport of Iron using Host-Guest Recognition of Ferrioxamine B
2004 - 2005 Beckman Scholars
Jennifer Chien
Title of Research: GFP Fusion Protein Dynamics in Drosophila Embryos and Cultured Cells
Jacqueline Ou
Title of Research: Identification of Cases of Horizontal Gene Transfer from Prokaryoites to Eukaryotes: jA Comparative Genomics Approach
2003 - 2004 Beckman Scholars
Laura de Marchena
Title of Research: Gs-Gi Switching in G-Protein Coupled Receptors
Victor Gonzalez
Title of Research: Isolation and Characterization of a Transducing Bacteriophage of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
2002 - 2003 Beckman Scholars
Yelena Burtseva
Title of Research: Through Genetic Manipulations of Drosophila
Heidi Hullinger
Title of Research: Identification of Possible Link Between the Human NAD Kinase Gene and Neurodegenerative Disease
2000 - 2001 Beckman Scholars
Jason Donald
Title of Research: Computational Study of a Molybdenum-Containing Enzyme
Justin Odegaard
Title of Research: Transforming MutS into a Mismatch-Specific Endonuclease Using 5-Amino-Orthophenanthroline
Juliet Pulliam
Title of Research: Application of Projection Matrices to a Wild Baboon Population in Amboseli National Park
John Wiemann
Title of Research: The Role of RhoA in Wound Healing
Owing to the sponsor's restriction on the number of applications that may be submitted from Duke (1), anyone wishing to pursue this opportunity should submit the materials outlined below as one PDF. With the information received, the Office of Foundation relations will assist in coordinating Duke’s institutional approach.
One paragraph faculty Bio, if interested in potentially serving as PI or co-PI.
Statement of interest (maximum two pages). Include the following three sections in the statement.
1. Scholar Recruitment and Selection (Section I):
- Briefly describe a proposed scholar recruitment and selection process. This can include:
- Beckman Scholar candidacy criteria, including research experience, distinguishing characteristics, etc.
2. Mentor Recruitment and Selection (Section II):
- Briefly describe a proposed mentor recruitment and selection process. This can include:
- Institutional, department promotion, etc.
- List the qualifications of a mentor
- Selection of the mentors
- Describe any training provided to the mentors
3. Institutional Support (Section III):
- Briefly describe a sustainability plan, unique to the institution’s research climate, for maintaining “Beckman-like” excellence in undergraduate research beyond the Beckman Scholars Program that includes:
- Building on the Program proposed herein, a framework for nurturing future undergraduate researchers in chemistry, biochemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects.
Briefly describe how the institution’s Beckman Scholars Program will differentiate from other institutional programs, and how its success will be measured?
Please contact Steve Murray, Foundation Relations (stephen.murray@duke.edu) with any questions.
Applicants will need to apply through My Research Proposal (Code: ILN). https://www.grantinterface.com/sl/Tj4LdN
Instructions for creating an account (if needed) and submitting your materials: https://ctsi.duke.edu/about-myresearchproposal