Arnold O Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship (United States)

The Fellowships will be in two tracks (applicants will choose one):

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences will allow chemists to pursue advanced research within the core areas of fundamental chemistry, such as chemical physics, chemical engineering, and chemistry of materials research. The fellowship is not intended to fund proposals in the fields of medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and biochemistry.
• 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 chemistry of materials science. Instrumentation projects must be suitable to the two-year fellowship timeframe, be driven by a need in the chemical sciences listed above, be innovative in method speed or process or represent a wholly new instrument for technical advancement in chemistry, and may potentially be used for future research in the broader scientific community.

Funding Information

• The award amount is $224,000 over 2 years for salary, fringe benefits and research expenditures; instrumentation fellowships will receive an additional one-time amount of up to $200,000.
• Fellows receiving year 3 renewal award will receive additional $118,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Criteria for Applicants at time of Letter of Intent submittal  due date/deadline:
  • At a U.S. college, university or institution which offers postdoctoral fellowships and holds a 501(c)(3), or similarly qualifying, IRS designation; and
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States , or hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient status; and
  • Current graduate student anticipated to complete a PhD in the chemical sciences by May 1, 2025, or current postdoctoral researcher with a granted/conferred PhD in the chemical sciences with no more than 18 months cumulative postdoctoral research experience; and
  • Must pursue postdoctoral training withing the core areas of fundamental chemistry, such as: chemical physics, chemical engineerings, and chemistry of materials research and, in an areas of the chemical sciences. While bio related applications will be considered, the fellowship is not intended to fund proposal that are supported by traditional NIH mechanisms; and
  • Must have identified a mentor in the chemical sciences at a qualified U.S. nonprofit college, university or institution with appropriate laboratory facilities to support their postdoctoral research proposal
  • Must verify that supporting mentor is supporting this single postdoc applicant.
• Criteria for Sponsoring Mentor at time of Letter of Intent submittal due date/deadline:
  • PhD, or MD/PhD; and
  • 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; and
  • Active investigator in the applicant’s area of research; and
  • Mentors may only sponsor one applicant for consideration of 2025 program

Ineligibility Criteria

• Any of the following conditions will render an applicant’s submittal ineligible:
  • At the time of submittal deadline, 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, 2025.
  • Applicants may not have faculty appointments.
• Any of the following conditions will render a supporting mentor, and subsequently the applicant ineligible:
  • Sponsoring mentor agrees to support two applicants for submittal – all will be deemed ineligible.

For more information, visit Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.