Beckman Scholars Program
The Beckman Scholars Program is designed to stimulate, encourage, and support research activity
by exceptionally talented students who have shown the potential to become the scientific leaders of
tomorrow. Research through the Beckman Scholars Program shall be conducted under the guidance
of a pre-approved Yale faculty member in one of the participating departments: Biomedical
Engineering; Chemistry; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.
The Beckman Foundation requires that Scholars are citizens or permanent residents of the United
States and enrolled full-time and maintain a 3.5 GPA, at a minimum. Each Beckman Scholar will be
required to perform research activities part-time (ten hours per week) during one academic year and
full-time over two summers (ten 40-hour weeks each summer).
Up to two students will be named as 2016-2017 Beckman Scholars. Beckman Scholars are normally
selected from among current sophomores, but juniors who commit to participation in the full
program, including the summer after graduation, may also be considered.
Each student named as a Beckman Scholar will receive an award in the amount of $21,000
(fellowship support of $18,200 and $2,800 for travel and supplies) to carry out research during the
2016-2017 academic year and 2016 and 2017 summer. In addition, each Beckman Scholar may be
invited to attend the annual Beckman Symposium in each of the two summers of their award. This
year’s Symposium will be held August 4-6, 2016 at the Beckman Foundation, in Irvine, California.
Approved faculty mentors for the 2016-2017 Beckman Scholars Program are:
Susan Baserga, Yale Beckman Scholars Program Director, Department of
Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Victor Batista, Department of Chemistry
Ronald Breaker, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Nilay Hazari, Department of Chemistry
Valerie Horsley, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Farren Isaacs, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Karla Neugebauer, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Laura Niklason, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Thomas Pollard, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Mark Saltzman, Biomedical Engineering
Joan Steitz, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Scott Strobel, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Paul Turner, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Elsa Yan, Department of Chemistry
For more information contact Dean Carl Hashimoto at carl.hashimoto@yale.edu
Beckman Scholars Program
Application Instructions
A pre-application is strongly recommended by March 4, 2016.
The full application is due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. To submit you a
cover sheet please follow the link on our website,
In addition, the following application materials must be emailed as an attachment to
sarah.delvecchio@yale.edu.
1) A CV/résumé
2) A copy of the applicant’s transcript (an “unofficial” copy or academic record printed
from the web or obtained in your residential college dean’s office is sufficient).
3) A description of any previous research experience (for each previous research
experience, a description of up to 1 single-spaced page may be provided)
4) A detailed description of the proposed research project (up to 3 single-spaced pages).
Include a description of the research and training objectives of the proposed research, and
how these will prepare the applicant for further study in his or her field of interest (up to
1 single-spaced page).
5) A confidential evaluation* from the faculty mentor, including evaluation of the
qualifications and potential of the applicant, the scholarly and pedagogic merits of the
proposed project, and a detailed plan for the academic supervision of the project.
6) One additional confidential letter of recommendation from another individual qualified
to assess the applicant’s qualifications and potential.
*Please note that recommendation letters must come from the mentor or recommender, not the
applicant.
Interviews will be held during the second week of April.
For questions concerning the application contact Donalee Slater at donalee.slater@yale.edu.
Beckman Scholars Program
Pre-Application and Application Cover Page
Name:
Date:
Residential College:
Class:
Major:
Permanent/Home Address:
Email:
Phone:
U.S. Citizen: U.S. Permanent Resident:
Title of Project:
Faculty Mentor:
Other fellowships for which applicant has applied or will apply: