The purpose of the Beckman Scholars Program is to provide an in-depth, sustained undergraduate research experience in chemistry, biochemistry, biological, and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects, for exceptionally talented, full-time undergraduate students at accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities; young people who ultimately will become prominent leaders in their scientific and professional pursuits. The Program’s financial support for a student and mentor over 15 continuous months of research, in conjunction with the Annual Beckman Symposium, offers an academically stimulating and unique educational experience.
The research activities performed by Beckman Scholars shall be conducted under the guidance of a full-time, approved 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.
Students will be named as Beckman Scholars in the spring of their freshman through junior years at their university or college. Once selected to be a Beckman Scholar, a student will retain the award for 15 months, as long as the student continues to excel academically, and the student’s research work shows satisfactory progress. Beckman Scholar funds provided to any one student may not exceed two summers and one academic year. Beckman Scholar summer funds may extend through the summer following graduation.
Since 1998, more than 148 different universities or colleges have received Institutional Beckman Scholar awards supporting over 1,778 student and mentor teams. Each Institutional Award spans a three-year period, with 2 student/mentor teams selected by the institution each year, regardless of Carnegie Classification (this is an update to the program which applies only to institutions awarded in 2022-forward).
Institutional 2025 Beckman Scholars Awards will be made to support approximately 14 universities and colleges, for an anticipated total of 84 undergraduate students over the three-year period. The Foundation plans to notify awardees in late December 2024 and formally announce awards the following January.
Each institution may submit one application for consideration for an award.
Deadlines:
- Duke Internal Deadline: April 14, 2024
- Sponsor Deadline: June 15, 2024
Beckman Scholars will ultimately become prominent leaders in their scientific and professional pursuits. As such, the Foundation has set forth the following requirements of a candidate for the Beckman Scholars Program:
• Undergraduate student: chemistry, biochemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects.
• Must be a full-time student throughout duration of award.
• 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.
• Articulate, well spoken.
• Strong writing skills.
• In pursuit of PhD, MD, MD/PhD; or other scientific pursuits.
Please note: Merit, diversity, equity, and inclusion should be considered as factors of equal weight during the Scholar selection process for this award. Also, the Foundation eliminated the minimum GPA requirement.
Each Beckman Scholar will pursue an independent research project, under the auspices of an approved mentor. The amount of funding for the 2025 Beckman Scholars Program is $26,000; $21,000 specifically for the Scholar and $5,000 for the Scholar’s Mentor.
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 Supply and Travel $2,800; per student, distributed as needed to support current research activities.
- Beckman Symposium:
- Each Beckman Scholar may be invited to attend the annual Beckman Symposium in each of the two summers of their award term; a formal notification and invitation to be provided.
- Mentor Stipend $5,000; distributed as needed during the associated Scholar’s award term to support the following, but not limited to:
- Scholar Mentorship Plan (SMP) - Mentor to develop & support the SMP,
- Outlining the Scholar/Mentor relationship,
- Detailing the collaboration between scholar, mentor & 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 increased undergraduate journal publication rates by the Scholar & Mentor
- Outlining the anticipated results of the Scholar’s research
- Mentor Travel - to support attendance with 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 Scholar’s Research
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/nb1BIB
Instructions for creating an account (if needed) and submitting your materials: https://ctsi.duke.edu/about-myresearchproposal