The mission of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is to support leading edge research, in the fields of chemistry and life sciences, broadly interpreted, and particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments, and materials that open up new avenues of research and application in these sciences and related disciplines. We aim to support young scientists today for tomorrow's breakthrough discoveries. The Foundation was established on September 29, 1977 and is located in Irvine, CA.
Media Contact
Members of the news media and marketing and communications departments, please use the phone number and email address below to contact us. Provide your full name, affiliation, phone number, email, questions, and deadline if applicable.
Press Contact:
Kaerie Ray, Curator + Communications Director
Telephone:
949.560.4232
Email:
Social Media
Media Resources
All media announcements regarding research supported by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation related to awards, including announcements, presentations, publications, openings, conferences, etc. must prominently acknowledge the support of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Institutions named as awardees may announce news only after submitting their signed and dated Award Letter to the Foundation. Please provide links, Digital Object Identifier (DOI), or notifications regarding such materials to the Foundation within 60 days of publication.
In publications and promotional materials, please refer to the Foundation as the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.
- Logo in .png format available for download below - other formats available by request
Foundation Fact Sheet
Please note: This information is updated each year at the same time that our Annual Report is posted.
The mission of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is to support leading edge research, in the fields of chemistry and life sciences, broadly interpreted, and particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments, and materials that open up new avenues of research and application in these sciences and related disciplines. We aim to support young scientists today for tomorrow's breakthrough discoveries. The Foundation is led by Executive Director and CEO Dr. Anne Hultgren, under the direction of the Board of Directors.
Leadership
Executive Director and CEO
Board of Directors
- Dan Bolar, Board Member
- Jane Buchan, PhD, Board Member
- Heather Haworth, Board Secretary
- Kent Hill, PhD, Board Member
- Jeffrey Johnston, PhD, Board Vice-Chair
- Kristen Monson, Board Chair
- Jeffrey S. Moore, PhD, Board Member
- Shlomi Nachman, Board Member
- Steven Pizula, Board Member
- Lynn Rahn, Board Treasurer
- Susan R. Wente, PhD, Board Member
- Deborah Wuttke, PhD, Board Member
Location
Annual Report
The 2025 Annual Report is our most recent offering. It features awardee highlights from all our national programs, as well as financial overviews and a look at the Foundation's local community work. It also takes readers inside the Beckman Institutes/Centers.
Financial Information
Fiscal Year Financial Highlights
September 2024-August 2025
- Total expenses and grant disbursements: $33,800,000
From the Annual Report:
During fiscal year 2025, the Foundation's investment portfolio performed well, contributing to a $53 million increase in the endowment. This growth was attributable to a combination of realized gains from investment sales and unrealized appreciation of existing holdings.
Governance and Process Enhancements
We established an internal audit function to evaluate operational processes and internal controls. As part of this initiative, we expanded oversight of outlier grant activity, including more formalized communication with awardees related to transfers, leaves, and free-and-clear terminations. These enhancements strengthened accountability, consistency, and risk management across the grant portfolio.
Portfolio Strategy and Manager Selection
We strategically addressed portfolio opportunities by focusing investment efforts on identifying high quality firms rather than pursuing investments simply to access the next fund. At approximately $800 million in assets, the Foundation is well positioned to access niche strategies with limited capacity. Manager evaluation is conducted opportunistically and within long-established asset allocation ranges, avoiding asset allocation bets or manager hires made solely to meet predefined targets.
Mission-Aligned Investments
Consistent with the Foundation's mission, we invested in biotechnology and science-related funds, aligning capital deployment with long-term thematic opportunities that support scientific advancement.
Cash Management and Liquidity Optimization
The Foundation placed increased emphasis on transferring excess cash into the Domestic Equity allocation to enhance long-term return potential, while maintaining sufficient liquidity to meet operational needs. This approach improved cash management by reducing excess cash balances and reallocating capital into higher-liquidity, higher-return assets.
Grant Programs
National Grant Programs
- Beckman Young Investigator – Provides research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences, particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science.
- Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship – Supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and build of chemical instrumentation.
- Beckman Scholars Program – Provides 15-month mentored research experiences for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences, or interdisciplinary combinations thereof.
- Beckman Speaker & Conference Support Fund – Provides funding that may be used for speaker travel support for members of the Beckman Family (current/past awardees, Institute Directors, Science Advisory Council, or Board Members), and other expenses related to hosting a seminar or conference. This program seeks to increase exposure to innovative science, promote leadership and communication skills, and enhance networking within Beckman awardee groups.
We also have a research technology initiative which evaluates the need for instrumentation grant programs and implements them as short-term opportunities on a periodic basis; most recently, Mass Spectrometry for Atmospheric Monitoring.
Local Community Work
- Beckman OC Community Support Grants – Supports organizations with innovative STEM and STEAM activities within the Orange County, California area; awarded for community-based projects, activities, or events that align with the Foundation’s aim of “supporting young scientists today for tomorrow’s breakthrough discoveries.”
- Beckman 'Family' Awardee Community Support Grants – Supports current Beckman awardees actively engaged as volunteers or Board members in youth STEM or STEAM organizations in their local area with funding of up to $5,000 for a particular project.
- Beckman STEM Inspired Teacher Grant Program - Supports hands-on classroom STEM learning and fieldtrips for OC public high schools with tiered funding for classroom, grade, and school proposals through the Orange County Community Foundation.
Book an Interview
To inquire about speaking with the Foundation's Executive Director, Dr. Anne Hultgren, please contact us at [email protected].
About the Executive Director:
Dr. Anne Hultgren joined the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 2015 as Executive Director and CEO. Previously, she was at the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, working in chemical and biological defense technologies. She received her PhD in Physics and Astronomy from the Johns Hopkins University, and BA in Physics and Mathematics from Franklin and Marshall College.
Recent Press Releases
Click the link provided beneath each recent headline to view the full news release. Items shown are in descending chronological order.
Last updated: April 2, 2026
Beckman Foundation Announces 2026 Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows
April 2, 2026
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2026 Conference Attendance, Sponsorships
March 4, 2026
- Read the news release here.
Seven Beckman Young Investigators and Five Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows Win Six-Month Bridge Funding Awards to Sustain Research Programs
February 25, 2026
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Elects New Board Chair, Three Members to Board of Directors
February 18, 2026
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2026 Beckman Scholars Program Awardees
January 14, 2026
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with University Lab Partners to Accelerate STEM Innovation and Education in Orange County
November 21, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Receives Foundation of the Year Award at Crystal Hearts Ball to Benefit Los Alamitos Youth Center
September 20, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Introduces Grantee-Centered Initiatives to Foster Networking, Career Advancement and Personal Development
September 9, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2025 Beckman Young Investigator Awardees
June 10, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Receives All Guilds’ Foundation Honoree Award at Annual Fundraiser for Segerstrom Center for the Arts
May 29, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2025 Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows
April 14, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2025 Beckman Scholars Program Awardees
January 28, 2025
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Wins 2024 PROTOS Award of Excellence for Community Relations / Institutional Programs
September 30, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Expands Board of Directors with Appointment of Dr. Susan R. Wente, Wake Forest University President
July 9, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Awards Irvine Public Schools Foundation $25,000 Orange County Community Support Grant
June 27, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2024 Beckman Young Investigator Awardees
June 11, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2024 Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows
April 23, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Hosts Irvine Tech Week Forum Exploring Future of Life Sciences Tech
April 1, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces Publication of Results from Multi-year Study on Impact of Blinded Application Reviews on Institutional Prestige Bias in eLife
March 25, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Reveals Updated Logo and Refreshed Visual Identity in Lead Up to Organization's Semicentennial Anniversary
March 7, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Announces 2024 Beckman Scholars Program Awardees
January 23, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Sponsors American Physical Society's Squishy Science Sunday
January 8, 2024
- Read the news release here.
Beckman Foundation Commits $250,000 to Segerstrom Center for the Arts
December 11, 2023
- Read the news release here.
Downloadable Press Kits
Click the links below to access the Foundation's downloadable PDF press kits for programs, events, and campaigns.
