Beckman Young Investigators Program Guidelines

Statement of Research Grant Policy & Procedures

The Beckman Young Investigator (BYI) Program is intended to provide research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of academic careers in the chemical and life sciences particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science.

GUIDELINES

The following general guidelines apply:

• Projects should show promise for contributing to significant advances in the research fields of interest to the Foundation. They should represent innovative departures in research rather than extensions or expansions of existing programs. Proposed research that cuts across traditional boundaries of scientific disciplines is encouraged. Proposals that open up new avenues of research in chemistry and the life sciences by fostering the invention of methods, instruments and materials will be given additional consideration.
  
  
• The BYI program is intended to provide funding to individuals with minimal or no external or internal funding from parent or other organizations. Proposals that have substantial funding will not be considered for the BYI award.


• Projects are normally funded for a period of up to four years. Grants may be in the range of $750,000 over the term of the project, contingent upon demonstrated progress following the first two years of the award.
  
  
• The Foundation does not provide for overhead or for indirect costs.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following are eligibility qualifications:

• The BYI program is open to persons with tenure-track appointments in academic and non-profit institutions that conduct fundamental research in the chemical and life sciences. No more than one candidate from any one institution, or its affiliates, will be selected for the BYI award in any particular funding cycle.
  
  
• Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States at the time of application. Persons who have applied for permanent residency but have not received their government documentation by the time of application are not eligible.
  
  
• To be eligible, an applicant should not have completed more than three full years in his or her tenure-track or other comparable independent research appointment. Regardless of eligibility under this rule, no individual may apply for a Beckman Young Investigator award more than three times.
  

PROCEDURE

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will only be accepting the LETTER OF INTENT from our ONLINE GRANT MAKING SYSTEM. ACCESS TO THIS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE MAY 15, 2013. Please check back to access the system.

The following items are available for your use and must be included in the LETTER OF INTENT:

• Completed LETTER OF INTENT Information Form
• On a separate page, (name and project title in margins) please provide the following:
  • A brief description of the proposed work that is understandable to a multidisciplinary group of scientific reviewers.
  • The description should make clear the rationale for the proposed work, its potential importance, the approach to be taken and the potential significant outcomes.
  The following format must be followed:
  • No more than 800 words used for project description;
  • Figures may be included;
  • References may be used and will not be included in word count;
  • Use Arial font, size 11;
  • Use at least one inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right).
• Beckman Young Investigator BIOSKETCH
• Research Support Form

ALL LETTERS OF INTENT MUST BE SUBMITTED USING THE ARNOLD AND MABEL BECKMAN FOUNDATION'S ONLINE SYSTEM. The following is required for successful submission of the 2014 BYI LETTER OF INTENT:

• Completed ELECTRONIC LETTER OF INTENT;
• An original and one copy of the LETTER OF INTENT, submitted WITHOUT STAPLES and no double-sided pages;
• The Foundation must also receive the completed LETTER OF INTENT packet in a PDF file via email (beckmanprograms@yahoo.com).

Completed LETTERS OF INTENT should be sent to:
BYI Program Administrator
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
100 Academy
Irvine, CA 92617

TIMETABLE

ALL VERSIONS OF 2014 Beckman Young Investigator LETTER OF INTENT, as described above, must be submitted to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation prior to MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013, 5:00 P.M. PST. Materials received after Monday, September 30, 2013 will be eliminated from the competition.

Potential candidates for BYI Application submission will be notified in December, 2013. Further instructions for application content will be made available upon invitation to submit a full application. Notifications of awards will be made in late spring. The funds for a given year of support may be disbursed by the Foundation in four quarterly payments over a given year, beginning in September.

Should candidates be selected to submit an application for the 2014 Beckman Young Investigator program, they will also be responsible for providing the following items:

• Written evidence prepared by an institutional official of support for the proposed research project including, but not limited to, laboratory space, funds for equipment purchases, faculty salary, overhead expenses, etc.
• Three confidential letters of reference on behalf of the Principal Investigator, must be submitted using the ONLINE GRANT SYSTEM. Only three letters will be accepted. Two of the letters of recommendation must come from experts in the field of the proposal with whom the applicant has no association (nor a mentor), and who is at an institution where the applicant has never been (including, especially, the applicant's current position.)
• A proposed timeline indicating the anticipated progress of the research project funding will support.

• Four Page Proposal (INCORPORATING ALL REFERENCES, DIAGRAMS AND DRAWINGS)

Because of the excessive administrative requirements involved, the Foundation is unable to provide critical commentary on unsuccessful proposals.