Beckman Scholars Program

MAJOR REVISIONS TO THE PROGRAM:
The Beckman Scholars Program underwent minor updates for the 2027 application cycle. Revisions include clarifications to the description of Participating Academic Units (PAUs), and updated guidance on procedures when a Scholar terminates participation early. Additional significant updates were implemented between the 2025 and 2026 programs including a shift from an invitation-only model to an open call; revisions to the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) prompts; the removal of the Historical Scholars Report Table and Scholars Report Table; updates to the Institutional Data Sheet and Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet; the addition of provisions for funds to support the institutional contact; and a reduction in the mentor research funds.

REVISIONS TO SCHOLAR SELECTION CRITERA:
The program has eliminated the following criteria for Scholar selection: minimum GPA, previous research experience, and strong verbal and written communication skills. The Foundation intends to remove barriers to participation for prospective Beckman Scholars and to encourage student applicants from a variety of experiences, backgrounds, opportunities, and who may not have had access to STEM resources or role models during their K-12 education. Institutions may not use these criteria when selecting Scholars and inclusion in a submitted application will be deemed administratively ineligible.

2027 Beckman Scholars Program Announcement

2027 Participating Academic Units Guidance

2027 BSP Application Instructions

2027 BSP FAQ Guidance

2027 BSP Application Webinar Q+A Transcript

The Beckman Scholars Program relaunched with an Open Call application in 2025.  The program is no longer by invitation only. 

OVERVIEW:
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.

All institutions will include a minimum of one and a maximum of six Participating Academic Unit(s) and a Minimum of eight Mentors and a maximum of fifteen Mentors to be eligible for the Beckman Scholars Program

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.

INSTITUTIONAL AWARDS
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 2027 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 2027 program year.

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.

The 2027 Beckman Scholar Awardee institutions will select their Scholars in early 2027 and begin their first award term in the summer of 2027, followed by a second award term beginning in the summer of 2028, and a third award term in the summer of 2029. Institutions who receive the 2027 Beckman Scholars Award will not be considered for new applications until the 2029 program.

2026 Beckman Scholars Program: Award Cycle

Year 1 Scholars - Summer 2027 / Academic Year 2027-28 / Summer 2028

Year 2 Scholars - Summer 2028 / Academic Year 2028-29 / Summer 2029

Year 3 Scholars - Summer 2029 / Academic Year 2029-30 / Summer 2030

INSTITUTIONAL AWARDS TO THE SCHOLARS:
Each Beckman Scholar will pursue an independent research project, under the guidance of an approved Mentor, as identified on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet included in the original application package submitted to the Foundation. The amount of funding for the 2027 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
    
• The Beckman Scholars Program award is a stipend for research conducted during summer, academic year, and following summer. The award is not a scholarship, grant, or work-study and may not reduce a Scholar’s financial aid. If the stipend exceeds a student's financial need at an institution, then the funds must be released directly to the Scholar.
  
• 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. Additionally, funds may be used for reimbursement of Beckman Symposium-related expenses, such as poster printing fees, meals outside of symposium, parking at airport, etc. See Symposium section for additional details.
  
• 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.
  • Beckman Symposium – reimbursement for Beckman Symposium related costs such as poster printing fees, meals outside of symposium, parking at airport, etc. See Symposium section for additional details.
    
• 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.
  
• No alterations to the Scholar timeline are permitted (summer, academic year, summer) but if a Scholar terminates their award early, due to unforeseen circumstances, then the Foundation must be notified without delay, and the remaining Scholar’s funds must be returned to the Foundation within 60 days. Return of funds for early termination does not impact other Scholar’s funding or future award year funding.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation does not provide for overhead or for indirect costs. Institutions may not fund additional or “matching” Beckman Scholars.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES:

• 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.

ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATING ACADEMIC UNITS (PAUs)
You will likely think about PAUs as departments or majors. These are the unique units from which you will select your Beckman Scholars. Beckman Scholars are selected from majors that provide meaningful preparation for laboratory-based biological and/or chemical research.

When listing Participating Academic Units, name individual majors (e.g., Chemistry or Biology), rather than larger entities (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences). Beckman Scholars can only be selected from the PAUs included on your Institutional Data Sheet (IDS), potential mentors can be selected from any home department, regardless of whether that department is listed as a PAU on the IDS.

Mentors do not need to be associated with the same departments as the identified PAU(s) but consider the impact on your Scholar pool to facilitate alignment in research/academic interests of potential Scholars with potential Mentors.

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.
• 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 (defined as meeting the institution’s criteria for 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.

ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WILL RENDER A UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE’S APPLICATION INELIGIBLE:

• Current Beckman Scholars Program Institution Awardee in Year 1 or Year 2 of their programs.
• If an institution submits more than one application in the program year.
• Including Hyperlinks in the Cover Letter or Proposal. Application does not comply with program requirements.

General Instructions for Uploads:

• PDF format
• Margins: 1 inch
• Font size: 11 pt
• Font type: Arial

File Naming: For the appropriate document, identify with University Name, application year, and document name, such as:

• Cover Page, Proposal, Mentor Statement, Mentor CV, Award Terms, Institutional Data Sheet, Faculty Mentor Statements.

Example: UniversityName_2027_Cover Page.pdf

Page Limits are as follows: All documents must be single sided and single spaced; no hyperlinks are permitted except as noted.

• Cover Page: 1 page max, on Institutional Letterhead
• Proposal: 8 pages max
• Institutional Data Sheet: No page limit, template provided
• Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet: No page limit, template provided
• Mentor CV: 2 pages max per CV, hyperlinks to publications allowed, template provided
• Mentor Statements: 2 pages max per mentor, template provided
• Institutional Progress Report (past awardees only): 2 pages max, no template provided
• Award Terms: Signatures required, template provided – upload all pages required

Application Preparer and Program Administration:

• The applying institution will designate ONE contact person for communications concerning its application and award. This Institutional Contact will be responsible for administering the program as well as submitting financial reports, reports of academic standing, coordinating the submittal of Scholar reports, Mentor reports, and institutional reports for each term of the institutional award cycle.

The Following Formatting Will Result in an Ineligible Application:

Including Hyperlinks in the Cover Letter or Proposal.

Beckman Scholars Application:

Note: Complete the listed tasks in the order shown below within the application portal. Not completing the tasks in order will result in a failure for subsequent tasks to be revealed correctly to the applicant.

1. BSP Eligibility: online questions
   Institution must answer eligibility questions in order to apply in this program cycle.
2. BSP Application Form: online questions
   Institution must provide general information including Federal Tax ID number, Carnegie Classification, Financial Contact, Grants Officer Contact, Participating Academic Unit(s), and 2025-2026 most significant external funding.
3. Cover Page: An introductory statement in which the institution may highlight its qualifications for the Beckman Scholars Program award, in line with the interests of the Program and the priorities of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Hyperlinks to additional information are prohibited.
4. Proposal: The proposal should emphasize the uniqueness of the Institution's BSP program. The following sections are required, and an Institution may include additional information as appropriate to highlight their proposed program’s distinctiveness and strengths. Hyperlinks to additional information are prohibited.

Section I - Scholar Recruitment, Selection, and Enrichment
When answering each of the following, be sure to detail the institution’s efforts to select potential Scholars who have taken a variety of pathways to higher education studies in STEM, including those who may have overcome financial challenges, lacked access to early education in STEM, and/or may not have had role models in science who reflected their own experiences.

• Describe the demographics of the student body.
• Describe the proposed Scholar recruitment process, focusing on public and targeted announcements, faculty outreach, strategies to achieve the broadest applicant pool, etc.
• Describe the proposed Scholar selection process. During the selection process, each of the following should be treated equally: the impact of the award on the applicant, the intellectual merit of the candidate, and the merit of the proposed research project.
• Beckman Scholar's candidacy criteria:
  • Good academic standing – as defined by the institution’s criteria for good academic standing.
  • Stated interest in an advanced science or engineering degree (e.g., PhD, MD, MD/PhD), or other pursuits within the STEM workforce.
  • Full-time undergraduate student majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, the biological and medical sciences, or some interdisciplinary combination of these subjects.
  • Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States or its possessions or hold DACA recipient status.
• Describe the planned activities that will enhance the Scholars professional development, their oral and written communication skills, and leadership skills.

The Foundation intentionally removed the following requirements and institutions must not consider or require them when selecting Scholars: minimum GPA, previous research experience, and strong verbal and written communication skills. Our intent is to remove barriers to participation for prospective Beckman Scholars and to encourage Scholars with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and prior opportunities that have led them into STEM fields.

Section II - Mentor Recruitment, Selection, and Training

• Detail the institution’s efforts to promote a supportive and inclusive environment for faculty in the departments included in this proposal.
• Describe the Mentor recruitment process for the Beckman Scholars Program:
  • Focus on announcements, Institutional nominations, departmental promotion, and effective strategies to achieve the broadest Mentor Pool, etc.
• Describe the Mentor selection process, including:
  • Outline the qualifications required of the Mentors.
  • How the Mentors were selected.
  • How the institution ensured that the demographics of the Mentor pool reflected that of the participating students.
  • Describe the training provided to Mentors that equip them with the resources and education to support students from all walks of life and pathways toward their interests in STEM education.

Section III - Institutional Support

• Describe the Institution's current commitment to quality undergraduate research, including the level of undergraduate research activity, Institutional support of research operations, and the availability of quality research facilities.
• Describe how the Institution's Beckman Scholars Program will be differentiated from other Institutional programs, and how success of the Beckman Scholars Program will be measured or evaluated.
• Optional: Describe additional financial support, if any, that the institution will provide during the Program. (Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation does not allow institutions to fund "matching scholars.”)
  
  BSP Institutional Endorsements
  For this application you must collect signatures of Institutional Endorsement from the Chief Academic Officer, as well as the Dean of the College/School/Division for each Participating Academic Unit. If the same Dean represents more than one Participating Academic Unit, they will need to complete a signature for each.

A signature of endorsement indicates the following: The information submitted to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in this Application is accurate and true.

• Institutional Endorsement: Chief Academic Officer (President, Chancellor, Provost, or similarly authorized signatory)
• Institutional Endorsement(s): Dean of the College/School/Division for each Participating Academic Unit, or similarly authorized signatory. The number of signatures required is dictated by the number of Participating Academic Units you identified in the Institutional Data Sheet and in early-stage application questions (min. 1, max. 6).
• NOTE: Stage 1 of the application must be completed first in order to correctly populate the number of signature requests. Check that this is a match before moving forward; it is the applicant's responsibility to provide the correct number of institutional endorsements with the application ahead of the submission deadline.

How will Institutional Endorsements be collected?

• The application preparer (you) will input the email address of each signer (CAO, Dean of each Participating Academic Unit). You also have the option of including a personal message.
• The signer will then receive an email from this application system ([email protected]) including: 1) why their signature was requested, and 2) how they can provide it. (The signer will use their computer mouse to "click & drag" their signature within a designated field.)
• You will get an automated email from this application system ([email protected]) once the endorsement signature is provided. These emails may be directed to your junk/spam folder; please check these folders to ensure you receive all application related emails. If you think an email may have been missed, you can also check the task periodically to see if the signature was provided.
• After a signature is provided, you will need to review and accept it. If necessary, you can reissue your request to make sure the signature is viewable, and the correct Participating Academic Unit has been listed.

Institutional Data Sheet (template provided):

Complete the task by providing the requested information about each Participating Academic Unit's faculty, majors, funding, and graduates. Remember to review all tabs of the template before completing and submitting, as they provide helpful instructions and examples. Fill in all requested fields; footnote any data requiring explanation.

Identify from 1 to 6 different Academic Units (majors) from which Scholars for your BSP Program may be selected (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, etc.). The names of the Academic Units listed here should match those noted elsewhere within your application. Place the name of each Academic Unit in row 3 then complete all fields of the corresponding column for that Academic Unit. An IDS template with example field entries is provided. Please note that the data does not necessarily represent ideal numbers for reporting; rather, it is intended as a placeholder to demonstrate how to report data within the template. Any similarities to an institution's actual reported information is coincidental.

• The proposed Scholar Selection pool can come from only those Academic Units (majors) listed on the Institutional Data Sheet.
• The home departments of Faculty Mentors are not required to be associated with the Academic Units listed on the Institutional Data Sheet.

Provide the following information:

(Numbers and letters shown below correspond to those shown in column A cells.)

1) Include the number of full-time, tenure/tenure-track Faculty members in that Academic Unit for the Academic Year 2025-26 (do not include summer term).

2) Include the number of junior and senior academic majors in this Academic Unit for the Academic Year 2025-26 (do not include summer term, declared majors only).

3) Include the number of baccalaureate degree graduates for Spring 2026 for each Academic Unit listed.

4a-d) Include the percent of the Academic Unit's undergraduate students who performed laboratory-based research under the mentorship of a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in each of the specified time periods: List percentage (x) and report number of undergrads (n) in parentheses - i.e. x% (n)

• Do not include multi-student, course-based research experiences (UG CURs).
• Include individually mentored student research experiences (1:1, student driven research under a PI).

5a-b) For the Academic Year 2025-26 (do not include summer term), include the total external funding and total number of external research awards: List separate totals: $ in thousands (x) and number of awards (n) in parentheses - i.e. $x (n). Include funding from awards given during that time period and funding accessible from multi-year grants that cover the time period. If multi-year grants are a part of the data provided, also include a footnote explanation.

6a-d) Include estimates for the number of baccalaureate degree graduates who continued on to the outcomes listed. Report five-year trends by providing numbers for the Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021 AND the Academic Year 2024-2025 (do not include summer terms).

7) List the start and end dates of Academic Year 2025-2026 at your institution using the following format: mm/dd/yyyy (do not include summer term).

8) Indicate the method your institution used to track the student data reported in the template (i.e., Student survey, etc.).

9) Indicate the office(s) responsible for tracking and reporting data.

*Complete all fields corresponding to each of the included Academic Units (majors). For any omitted data, include a footnote explanation.

If awarded, only students from chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and medical sciences (broadly interpreted) and/or other included Participating Academic Units (per the Institutional Data Sheet) may be considered as Beckman Scholars. The Participating Academic Units listed on the Institutional Data Sheet need not be associated with the faculty (home departments) included on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet.

Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (template provided):
All institutions will include a minimum of 8 Mentors and a maximum of 15 Mentors on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (FMSDS). Only the faculty listed on the FMSDS will be eligible to serve as approved Mentors for this program.

If awarded, no additional Mentors may be added to the list.

The faculty (home departments) included on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet do not need to be associated with the Participating Academic Unit(s) listed on the Institutional Data Sheet.

Proposed Faculty Mentor pool will be evaluated based on the quality of each Faculty Mentor.

The Beckman Scholars Program encourages the participation of both junior as well as more senior faculty as Faculty Mentors. The Program's interpretation of the FMSDS and the evaluations of curriculum vitae for each faculty member will take their junior or senior status into consideration.

Use the following information to complete each column of the FMSDS template within the application for each Faculty Mentor included in the Beckman Scholars Program application. Letters correspond with column headings on the form, list faculty members alphabetically by last name.

List each Faculty Mentor name and the corresponding data.
(Numbers and letters shown below correspond to those shown in column B cells.)

• (a) = 0 - 9 months; (b) = 10 - 18 months; (c) = 19 or more months.
  1. From the start of academic year 2020-2021 to the end of academic year 2024-2025 (5 years), total number of peer-reviewed journal articles with undergraduate co-authors in research journals, already published or in press. Do not include abstracts.
     1. From the start of academic year 2020-2021 to the end of academic year 2024-2025 (5 years), total number of undergraduate co-authors in research publications, already published or in press. Count each student co-author only once, even if they co-author multiple publications. Do not include abstracts.
  2. From the start of academic year 2020-2021 to the end of academic year 2024-2025 (5 years), number of External Presentations by the Mentor’s undergraduate research students. External Presentations include regional, national and international meetings.
  3. From the start of academic year 2020-2021 to the end of academic year 2024-2025 (5 years), number of Internal Presentations by the Mentor’s undergraduate research students. Internal Presentations take place at the host institution or at a local conference. Do not include group meetings.
  4. From January 2025 - December 2025, total external support awarded for faculty member's project(s). Rounded to the nearest $1,000. For grants that span part of that time, annualize and include the portion relevant to the time period.
  5. From January 2021 - December 2025 (5 years), average total annualized external support for faculty member's research project(s). Rounded to the nearest $1,000. Divide total external support (Jan. 2021 - Dec. 2025) figure by 5 to arrive at an average.
  6. From January 2025 - December 2025, internal support provided by home institution for faculty member's research projects (including faculty member's summer research salary, undergraduate student stipends, research supplies, special research instrumentation, "competitive" internal grants and excluding faculty member's academic year salary and utilities costs). Rounded to the nearest $1,000.
  7. From start of academic year 2020-2021 to the end of academic year 2024-2025 (5 years), number of high school students mentored in research performed in faculty mentor’s lab(s).

Mentor CV (template provided):
All Curriculum Vitae (CV) must be uploaded together as one all-inclusive .pdf document, reflecting the order listed on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (alphabetical by last name).

• CV for each Faculty Mentor identified in the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (FMSDS) (two-page max).
• Institutions are required to submit 8 – 15 Faculty Mentors for application consideration, and Mentors listed must match those identified in the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet.
• Only faculty listed on the FMSDS and included in the appendices will be eligible to serve as BSP Mentors. No changes can be made after submission.
• Alphabetize by Mentor last name.

Each Faculty Mentor identified in the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet must include a Mentor CV with name and contact details as well as the following information:

A. Personal Statement (Biosketch)

B. Education/Training

C. Professional Experience

D. Honors and Awards

E. Select Publications (Include up to 10 of the Mentor’s most recent publications as space allows; underline undergraduate co-authors in publication list.) Hyperlinks to publications are permitted.

Mentor Statements: (template provided):
All Mentor Statements must be uploaded together as one all-inclusive .pdf document, reflecting the order listed on the Faculty Mentor Summary Data Sheet (alphabetical by last name).

• Mentor Statements should be unique to each Faculty Mentor identified in the FMSDS.
• Mentor Statements must be completed by each Faculty Mentor identified in the FMSDS.
• Each Mentor's Mentor Statement must not exceed two pages.

Mentor Statement: Briefly describe your proposed Scholar Mentorship Plan (SMP), which should be reflective of how the Scholar will be mentored. Please include the following information:

1. Plan for how the Mentor will develop the Scholar. Provide training goals and the specific approaches your team will adopt to target these goals. Avoid technical information. Instead, give project details that include what the Scholar’s role will be, what the Scholar will be doing in the lab, and the intellectual development that will take place.
2. Frequency and nature of the planned interactions between the Scholar and the Mentor.
3. Specific strategies the Mentor will utilize to prepare the Scholar for graduate-level research and future leadership roles in scientific research and innovation.
4. Plan for ensuring that the Scholar feels welcomed and respected within the Mentor’s lab, and able to work and thrive in a safe space. Include any novel teaching/mentoring methods that will be employed to ensure Scholars of all backgrounds flourish and succeed.
5. Number of undergraduates participating in active laboratory research in the faculty member’s current research activities.
6. Total number of undergraduate research students (UGRS) the faculty member has mentored to date. Past Beckman Scholars Program Institutions: Of the total UGRS, include number that were Beckman Scholars.

Institutional Progress Report. (past awardees only; no template provided; 2 pages max):
The Progress Report should include the following information:

• Summary of BSP implementation.
• Success of the BSP (identify the metrics used for measuring success).
• How the BSP benefited the following:
  • Institution's undergraduate programs
  • Scholars
  • Mentors

Note: If you are an institution applying in your third award year, please include planned activities in the final Award year.

Award Terms & Conditions:
To complete the task, acknowledge concurrence with the Terms and Conditions by signing and dating the first page and then uploading all pages of the document. This document should be signed by the Chief Academic Officer (President, Chancellor, Provost, or similarly authorized signatory).

If awarded, additional parties, including the Grants/Contracts Officer and Institutional Contact listed in your application, will be sent the formal Award Letter with Terms and Conditions for signature.

Indicate your acceptance as-is or request the removal of clauses VI.I. and VI.J., only if prohibited by State law from accepting them. If requesting removal of these clauses, you must reference the corresponding law code for your State.

SUBMITTAL:

• Ensure that your institution is completing and submitting only ONE application to the 2027 Beckman Scholar Program. If multiple submissions are received, all of them will be ineligible for consideration.
• Read all instructions and use the templates provided to complete the application.
• Page limits are strictly enforced.
• Signatures must be completed prior to application submission.
• All task stages must be marked complete within the online portal to enable the submit function, except for stages labeled as instructions. Marking instruction stages as complete is optional but recommended.
• No changes, edits, or updates to an application will be permitted once it has been submitted.
• Late applications emailed or submitted after the deadline will not be accepted for any reason.

Application Opens: Feb 17 2026 08:00 AM Pacific Time

Deadline: Jun 15 2026 05:00 PM Pacific Time

Follow the link below to our application portal:

https://beckman-foundation.smapply.io/prog/beckman_scholars_program/

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will conduct an administrative review to verify compliance with page limits, program requirements, and required templates. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be deemed administratively ineligible.

The Beckman Scholars Advisory Panel will review and evaluate the applications and recommend approximately fourteen merit-based programs for funding. The Board of Directors of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will make the final determination on institutional awards. It is anticipated that private and public research, doctorate, master's, and baccalaureate universities and colleges will all be represented in the final award list.

Because of the administrative requirements involved, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation provides limited written feedback on unsuccessful applications but is unable to provide additional critical commentary via telephone, meeting, or email.

Each year the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation sponsors a symposium that highlights the work of the recipients of the Beckman consortium of programs. 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 will be provided. The event may be in-person or virtual.

The Annual Beckman Symposium features:

• Scientific and poster presentations by Beckman Young Investigators, Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows, and Beckman Scholars completing their second summer of research.
• Speakers from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation consortium of programs.
• A series of informal concurrent seminars on topics of special interest by leading scientists from academia, industry, and national government laboratories.

The Beckman Scholar attendees are newly appointed Scholars in their first summer of research and Scholars in their second summer of research who are completing their Award term. In addition, one Faculty Mentor from each institution during their first award year may be invited to attend. All second summer Scholars are required to present a poster of their current research and several may have the opportunity to be a speaker during the symposium.

The format for the Beckman Symposium is updated annually and may be offered as an in-person or virtual event. Staff at the Beckman Foundation will coordinate all arrangements and reservations for the symposium. Symposium-related travel and lodging for Beckman Scholars and Faculty Mentors will be paid for by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (for in-person events only), outside of the funding provided via this award program. Specific details will be provided well in advance of each Symposium.

Click here for updated information on our Foundation's Symposium website page.

Additional Questions?

INSTITUTIONS: Please send your questions to the Program Administrator via email to [email protected]

STUDENTS: The Beckman Scholars Program does not issue awards directly to individuals; it is an institutional award program. If you are an undergraduate student in the area of chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or other science discipline, contact your institution's department chairs or research support office for more information.

Generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT or AI, are evolving into essential software in the researcher’s toolkit. Just as graphing and statistical software aid in data analysis and presentation, AI tools can assist authors in their work. The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports the use of these tools as supplementary resources when used in an ethical and responsible manner. Accountability lies with the human authors, who remain responsible for the proper application of AI and the critical review and reporting of its output. All awardees and applicants are expected to comply with best practice in research and publishing ethics, take full responsibility for any errors made by an AI tool, and are expected to cooperate with questions relating to the accuracy or integrity of any part of their work, including data analyses and representation.

Logo
Scholars if you are preparing a research poster or slideshow presentation and wish to include the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation logo and/or the Beckman Scholars Program logo, they are available for download in .png format below.

• Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Logo - stacked/vertical orientation
• Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Logo - horizontal orientation
• Beckman Scholars Program Logo

Publishing

Please acknowledge the support of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation by referring to the Foundation as The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and to the award as The Beckman Scholars Program or Beckman Scholars Award. We do not have a specific award number. 

For publishers and databases that use CrossRef, the Foundation's CrossRef ID is: dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000997.

Beckman Scholars: If you are graduating and would like the Foundation to send you BSP Honor Cords, please email your request to [email protected]. Include your full name, current mailing address, phone number, and the date of your graduation ceremony.

Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery; while supplies last.

Congratulations, Graduates!

Every April, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation celebrates Beckman Scholars and their research with an online campaign during Undergraduate Research Week. The campaign features Scholar- and Mentor-submitted content in addition to program-related content produced by the Foundation which is shared on social media platforms like Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. To view past content, search using the following tags and hashtags:

• 2026 Campaign: #URW2026, #BeckmanScholar, #BSPMentor, #undergraduateresearch, #BeckmanScholars, @CURinAction

Current Beckman Scholars and BSP Mentors: We invite you to submit content for next year's celebration. Send your quotes, images, and videos to [email protected] for consideration. Some helpful tips:

• QUOTES - Quotes should be 40 words or less. Your quote can be about your Beckman-funded research, time in the lab, future career plans, experience as a Beckman Scholar or BSP Mentor, why you think undergraduate research opportunities make a difference, or a thank you to your BSP Mentor.
• IMAGES - Horizontal, color jpeg images (less than 1MB) are preferred and should be sent as email attachment(s). Include photo credit and a brief caption. Your image can be a selfie, in the lab, from your research, with your Mentor or other Beckman Scholars, or spotlight your campus.
• VIDEOS - Videos should have a vertical orientation, be no more than 30 seconds long, and submitted as .mp4 or .mov files. Send as an email attachment or with a download link that does not require sign-in/password. Your video can be a tour of your lab or campus, a quick introduction to you or your research, a shout out to your Mentor, words of encouragement, or a celebration of your academic accomplishments.

The Foundation has a database of Awarded Scientists that is searchable by Scholar name, award program, award year, discipline, or institution. Below is a list of BSP Awardee Institutions for the most recent three years.

2026 Beckman Scholars Program Awardee Institutions

Binghamton University (SUNY)
Bowdoin College
Butler University
Emory University
Harvey Mudd College
Pomona College
San Jose State University
St. Olaf College
Syracuse University
University of Arkansas
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Cincinnati
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Pennsylvania

2025 Beckman Scholars Program Awardee Institutions

Barnard College
California State University, San Marcos
College of William and Mary
Colorado School of Mines
Northeastern University
Reed College
San Francisco State University
Texas A&M University
Trinity University
University of Arizona
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Texas, Austin
Vanderbilt University
Western Washington University

2024 Beckman Scholars Program Awardee Institutions

Arizona State University
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Chapman University
Emmanuel College
Georgia State University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Rutgers, University of New Jersey, Newark
Santa Clara University
University of Chicago
University of San Diego
University of the District of Columbia
University of Utah
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Wellesley College

Beckman Scholar Dabne Herrera Guerra's research focuses on "Jabba Localization at the ER Periphery Regulates Actin Cytoskeleton in Drosophila Embryos" under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Welte at the University of Rochester.

The vivid image shown at the top of this web page shows state-specific expression of the lipid-droplet Jabba during Drosophila oogenesis, where the blue = DNA and the green = Jabba. It was taken by Dabne during the course of research and originally featured as part of the Foundation's online campaign content for Undergraduate Research Week.

Shared Dabne: “I am thankful to my inspiring mentor, Dr. Michael Welte, for shaping me into the researcher and mentor I am today, and to the Beckman Foundation for giving me resources to grow in research and prepare for my scientific career.”

Overview of the Beckman Scholars Program

2009 Beckman Scholar Abigail Knight, PhD

2016 Beckman Scholar Nathanael Kazmierczak

2017 Beckman Scholar Audrey Short

Amherst College Professors Helen Leung and Mark Marshall discuss the Beckman Scholars Program

2016 Beckman Scholar Zachary Nimmo and 2017 Beckman Scholar Christopher Travis

2019 Beckman Scholar Vennela Mannava presents her research at the 2020 Beckman Symposium

2019 Beckman Scholar Catherine Weibel presents her research at the 2020 Beckman Symposium

2021 Beckman Scholar Anthea Bell takes us inside the Horch lab at Bowdoin College

2021 Beckman Scholar Connor Bowerman offers a glimpse inside the Akimov lab at Texas A&M University

2021 Beckman Scholar Christina McBride gives a tour of the Charkoudian lab at Haverford College

2022 Beckman Scholar Shruti Venkatesh offers a look inside the Bishop lab at SUNY Binghamton

2022 Beckman Scholars Emily Scheib and Liam Shanahan from The Ohio State University interview 2010 Beckman Scholar Nicholas Jarjour, PhD

2002 Beckman Scholar and former BSP EC member Nicholas Ball, PhD joins the Beckman Foundation's podcast

2010 Beckman Scholar James Wade, PhD joins the Beckman Foundation's podcast