Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
Amount: US $224,000 - US $542,000
Last Updated: October 27, 2025

Summary

The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship offers researchers the opportunity to advance their studies in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation. This program supports innovative research within fundamental chemistry and the development of new instrumentation. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or DACA recipients, with a PhD in the chemical sciences anticipated by May 1, 2026. Mentorship from a qualified institution is required, fostering independent research capabilities in a collaborative environment.

Overview

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award Program supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and build of chemical instrumentation. Fellowship TrackResearch must be innovative in method, speed, or process, or represent new instrument technology. This fellowship will be a catalyst from "mentored yet independent" postdocs to outstanding, independent researchers in academic or industry/governmental labs. The Fellowships will be in two tracks (applicants will choose one): Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences allows chemists to pursue advanced research within fundamental chemistry, such as chemical physics, chemical engineering, or the chemistry of materials. The underlying proposed research and innovation must be chemistry-focused, although the project can have applications in other fields such as biology or physics.Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Instrumentation will allow researchers in chemistry to conceptualize, develop, and build instrumentation suitable to advanced research in chemistry, chemical physics, chemical engineering, and the chemistry of materials science. Instrumentation projects must be suitable to the two-year fellowship timeframe, be driven by a need in the listed chemical sciences, be innovative in method, speed or process, or represent a wholly new instrument for technological advancement in chemistry. Future potential use to the broader scientific community is a benefit.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Criteria for Applicants at time of application:U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its possessions, or hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient status; andCurrent graduate student anticipated to complete a PhD in the chemical sciences by May 1, 2026, or current postdoctoral researcher with a granted/conferred PhD in the chemical sciences with no more than 18 months of cumulative postdoctoral research experience; andMust pursue postdoctoral training within the core areas of fundamental chemistry, such as: chemical physics, chemical engineering, or the chemistry of materials. All applications should propose research and innovations that are chemistry-focused, although the project can have applications in other fields such as biology or physics; andMust have identified a mentor in the chemical sciences at a qualifying US nonprofit institution with appropriate laboratory facilities to support their postdoctoral research proposal; andApplicant must confirm with Sponsoring Mentor that they have committed to sponsoring only said applicant in this program cycle.Criteria for Sponsoring Mentor at time of application:PhD, or MD/PhD.Full-time tenured or tenure track with at least a 25% appointment in chemistry, chemical physics, chemical engineering, or materials chemistry department at their institution; andActive investigator in the applicant’s area of research.Mentors may only sponsor one applicant per program year for consideration.

Ineligibility

Any of the following conditions will render an applicant ineligible:At the time of application due date, applicants with more than 18 months of cumulative postdoctoral experience in a research lab, or who are more than 3 years from their PhD, are not eligible to apply.Applicants may not submit applications to both the "Chemical Sciences" and "Chemical Instrumentation" fellowships in a single program year.Visa holders are not eligible to apply.Government laboratories, such as NIH or federally funded national laboratories are not eligible institutions.Applicant has not successfully completed their PhD by May 1, 2026.Applicants may not have faculty appointments.Any of the following conditions will render a Sponsoring Mentor, and subsequently the Applicant(s) ineligible:Sponsoring mentor supports two or more applicants for LOI submittal