Tori Inlow at 2026 Beckman Symposium
Corey Sandler of OC Event Photos
About
The Beckman Scholars Program, funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, helps stimulate, encourage, and support research activities by exceptionally talented, full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing their studies at accredited four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The Beckman Scholarship is a prestigious one, providing a total student stipend of $18,200 plus $2,800 for research supplies and travel support over the course of the 15-month experience. Two Beckman Scholars will be selected annually.
The University of Arizona Beckman Scholars Program gives undergraduates funding and support to conduct in-depth research with a U of A Beckman Mentor on a full-time basis for two consecutive summers, and part-time during the intervening academic year. U of A Beckman Scholars work on a project of interest in their selected mentor’s lab, engage in professional development activities, such as leading undergraduates in small group discussions, inviting and hosting an eminent scientist to give a seminar at U of A, meeting with Beckman Mentors, and serving as student leaders within the Undergraduate Biology Research Program, etc.
U of A Beckman Mentors
Eligibility
To apply to U of A’s Beckman Scholars Program, you must:
- Be a University of Arizona full-time undergraduate student whose major is in one of the following departments or schools
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
- School of Plant Sciences
- Be a freshman, sophomore or junior, at the time of application, graduating in May 2028 or later.
- Be in good academic standing.
- Be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or hold DACA recipient status.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Be willing and able to devote two consecutive summers (full-time, in-person for a minimum of 10 weeks) and the intervening academic year (part-time) to working on a research project(s) with a University of Arizona Beckman Mentor .
- Be willing and able to participate in the Annual Beckman Symposium, held in Irvine, CA, for both summers. If in-person, travel and hotel accommodations will be provided. *The 2027 Beckman Symposium will be held Aug 5 - August 7, 2027
- Be willing and able to serve as a summer workshop leader and peer facilitator for Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) participants and engage in the professional development activities associated with this program. This includes attending the Annual Ethics Retreat which typically held over the course of two days in June at the Biosphere 2 including an overnight stay. *The 2027 Ethics Retreat will be held June 10 - June 11, 2027
Application Process
Students interested in participating in the University of Arizona's Beckman Scholars Program (BSP) must submit the following Stage 1 and Stage 2 application materials by the provided deadlines. A completed Stage 1 Application must be submitted in order to be eligible to submit a Stage 2 Application. All Stage 1 and Stage 2 application materials, except for the letter of recommendation, must be submitted to the 2027 BSP Box Folder.
*The link to the 2027 BSP Box Folder is provided in 2027 BSP Application Cover Page.
Please see our AI Policy for guidance on our requirements and restrictions on the use of large language models (i.e. AI platforms) during the development and writing of your application.
Given the current landscape of research funding, we strongly encourage all U of A BSP Applicants to also apply to as many of our other UBRP Research Programs as they can (check eligibility here), as well as any other research program or funding opportunity for which you are eligible.
Stage 1 Application
due Thursday, December 31st, 2026 at 11:59PM Arizona Time
Formatting guidelines: Keep the format provided in the Cover Page. Saved as PDF
File naming guideline: BSP Stage 1 Application_< Applicant First Name>_< Applicant Last Name>
Submission guidelines: Upload completed Cover Page to BSP 2027 Box Folder (link provided in 2027 BSP Application Cover Page)
Cover Page: A complete 2027 BSP Application Cover Page
Stage 2 Application
due Sunday, February 21st, 2027 at 11:59PM Arizona Time
Section I:
Formatting guidelines: 12 pt. Arial font, single spaced, 1” margins for all written materials (i.e. Personal Statement, Research Statement, & Research Proposal). Combine all finalized Section II materials into a single PDF file with each item appearing in the order in which it is listed below.
File naming guideline: BSP Stage 2 Application_< Applicant First Name>_< Applicant Last Name>
Submission guidelines: Submit finalized application as a single PDF to the 2027 BSP Box Folder (link provided in 2027 BSP Application Cover Page)
Personal Statement: One-page personal statement describing your career goals and reasons for applying to be a Beckman Scholar.
Research Statement: One-page description of your prior or current research experience.
*Research experience is not required. However, a strong foundational knowledge of science and the conduct of research is highly beneficial for writing your research proposal. For those interested in a more introductory experience in research, we recommend applying to UBRP or one of our other subprograms.
*If you do not have research experience, please describe your background in science in your Research Statement.
Research Proposal: Three-page research proposal based on the selected article prompt below.
*If you choose to include figures, they must be put at the end of the proposal and they will not count towards the three-page limit. A maximum of 2 figures may be included.
Transcripts: Unofficial or official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended (either Unofficial or Official).
Schedule: Your Spring 2027 course schedule, indicating times available for an interview.
Section II:
Submission guidelines: Letters are to be emailed to Quinn Reilly, qreilly@arizona.edu, directly from the letter writer by the Stage 2 deadline.
Letter of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation from a University of Arizona math or science faculty member.
Research Proposal Prompts
For the research proposal, applicants will select ONE of the two provided prompts (Prompt A or Prompt B) with its corresponding article. Applicants will write a three-page, single spaced, research proposal based on their selected prompt. This research proposal is NOT a proposal for the research you would be doing with a Beckman Mentor; rather this is an exercise to demonstrate your knowledge and ability to think creatively and methodically in terms of scientific research.
Prompt A:
“Will We Ever Achieve Immortality?” – Scientific American
Aging results from interconnected changes in cellular processes, including DNA damage, loss of protein quality control, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered nutrient sensing, chronic inflammation, and depletion of stem cells. Researchers are investigating interventions such as caloric restriction, inhibition of the TOR/mTOR pathway with drugs like rapamycin, removal of senescent cells, and partial cellular reprogramming as potential ways to slow or reverse aspects of aging. However, manipulating these pathways can also produce unintended consequences because many of them normally perform additional cellular functions. For an age-related disease or physiological decline of your choice, write a novel research proposal investigating one cellular pathway or aging mechanism that could be manipulated to improve health span.
Prompt B:
"This Paint Could Clean Both Itself and the Air" - Scientific American
Light provides a powerful, versatile means of driving chemical reactions by exciting the electrons of molecules and reactive catalysts, but the efficiency and selectivity of these reactions remain challenging to control. Living systems have evolved sophisticated molecular systems that capture and direct light to power cellular reactions such as photosynthesis. This has inspired the exploration of new approaches to apply photochemistry to the transformation of chemicals outside of biological systems, such as catalysis to promote clearance of pollutants in the air. For a chemical transformation of your choice, propose a strategy to harness light to drive a useful chemical reaction.
Research Proposal Components
A typical proposal of this type has several pieces:
Very brief introduction/specific aims.
Background and significance.
Elaborate upon the problem you have chosen, explain current approaches to solve the problem (why you chose your approach versus other approaches).
Describe specific aims and lay out experimental details/problems/solutions that elaborate on your aims. Clearly describe the logic behind your experiments and consider possible pitfalls.
Potential problems & solutions.
Make sure to cite all relevant background articles that form the basis for your proposal and any figures that you use.
Current University of Arizona Beckman Scholars are available to meet with prospective applicants to discuss the program, provide feedback and answer questions about research proposals, etc. Please contact Quinn Reilly (qreilly@arizona.edu) at least 2 weeks before the Stage 2 deadline (Sunday, February 21st, 2027) to arrange for a meeting.
Beckman Scholar Selection
A committee will review students’ application and evaluate the merit and creativity of their research proposals; the most highly qualified applicants will be invited for an interview with the selection committee in late February or early March. At the interview, applicants will give a 10-minute presentation on their proposal to the selection committee. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance or rejection for the U of A Beckman Scholars Program by April 1, 2027.
Questions?
Please contact Quinn Reilly at qreilly@arizona.edu.