Beckman Scholars at SCU
The Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences, or interdisciplinary combinations thereof. This prestigious institutional award spans three years, with two Beckman Scholars named each year. Each Scholar-mentor pair receives $26,000 in funding, with $21,000 going to the student and $5,000 going to the faculty mentor. Students must meet eligibility criteria listed below and be involved in research with one of the Beckman Faculty Mentors.
Become a Beckman Scholar!
We invite students majoring in chemistry and life sciences to apply to be a Beckman Scholar. Applicants must be undergraduate students and must work with any of the Faculty Mentors listed below. (Applications from students graduating in 2024 will not be accepted.) There is no minimum GPA requirement for this program, and students are selected based on the quality of their proposal, their research experience (if any), and the impact this experience will have on their future plans. Students named Beckman Scholars will commit to research activities full-time over two consecutive summers and part-time during one academic year. Students will receive a total of $18,200 in stipends over this period, along with another $2,800 in funds to support their research or travel.
In 1928, Arnold Beckman received his doctorate in photochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, and while he was teaching there as an assistant professor, a former classmate presented a need to acidity levels in lemon juice for a local citrus processing plant. To solve this problem, Dr. Beckman invented the acidimeter. Seven years later, demand for the acidimeter had reached such levels that Dr. Beckman felt compelled to leave his teaching position and established the National Technical Laboratories (later, Beckman Instruments).
In addition to the acidimeter, inventions pioneered by Dr. Arnold Beckman and Beckman Instruments include:
- Spectrophotometer
- Oxygen Analyzer
- Ultracentrifuge
- Vehicle Emissions Analyzer
Mabel Beckman, Arnold's wife of 64 years and lifelong confidante, was instrumental in laying out the vision for the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation. Dr. Beckman once summarized the goal of the endowment by saying, “I wish to support the young people - those who don't yet have the clout to receive the large Federal grants.”
More details about the accomplishments and generosity of Arnold and Mabel Beckman can be found on the Beckman Foundation website. Santa Clara University is honored to have been selected as a 2024 Beckman Scholars Program Awardee.
Step 1: Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements, which include (a) being an undergraduate student, and (b) being a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or have DACA recipient status. There is no minimum GPA requirement.
Step 2: Identify a Faculty Mentor from the list provided on this page.
Step 3: Work with your Faculty Mentor to write a project proposal. Details regarding the project proposal can be found in the Beckman Scholar Application Guidelines.
Step 4: Write a Personal Statement and DEI Statement to include with the proposal.
Step 5: Identify a second faculty member willing to write a letter of support for your application.
Step 6: Submit your application. Applications will open on January 8 and must be submitted by March 1 using this Qualtrics application link.
Note: You will need two letters of support from faculty, with one from your faculty mentor. You will not need to collect these or upload them with your application. Instead, the Office of Research will reach out to these faculty members directly to secure your letters of support. You will receive an email advising that your application is complete once the two letters are received by the Office of Research. Details regarding what should be included in the letter of support can be found in the Beckman Scholar Application Guidelines.
Please direct any questions regarding the application process to:
Eric Tillman (Associate Provost for Research) or Sam Herman (Administrative Associate for Research)