Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and build of chemical instrumentation.

🌟 About Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship

This fellowship aims to catalyze the transition from "mentored yet independent" postdocs to outstanding, independent researchers in academic, industry, or governmental labs.

Tracks Available:

1. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences

   • Focuses on advanced research within fundamental chemistry, such as chemical physics, chemical engineering, or the chemistry of materials.
   • Research must be chemistry-focused but can have applications in other fields like biology or physics.

2. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Instrumentation

   • Supports researchers in conceptualizing, developing, and building instrumentation for advanced research in chemistry, chemical physics, chemical engineering, and materials science.
   • Projects must be innovative in method, speed, or process, or represent wholly new instruments for technological advancement in chemistry.

📅 Opportunity Details

• Date Published: July 04, 2025
• Application Deadline: September 05, 2025
• Category: Fellowship, PhD, Postdoctoral
• Opportunity Location: United States
• Eligible Locations: United States

🎁 Benefits of Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship

• Fellows are appointed for two years, with the possibility of a third year by renewal.
• Funding Details:
  • $224,000 over two years for salary, fringe benefits, and research expenditures.
  • Instrumentation fellowships receive an additional one-time payment of up to $200,000 for material/development costs.
  • Optional third-year funding: $118,000 (dependent on research progress and renewal application).
• Fellows begin in July of the program year.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Applicant Requirements:

• Citizenship:
  • U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, or hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
• Education:
  • Current graduate student expected to complete a PhD in chemical sciences by May 1, 2026, or current postdoctoral researcher with no more than 18 months of cumulative postdoctoral research experience.
• Research Focus:
  • Must pursue postdoctoral training within fundamental chemistry (e.g., chemical physics, chemical engineering, or chemistry of materials).
  • Research must be chemistry-focused but can have applications in other fields like biology or physics.
• Mentorship:
  • Must have identified a mentor in chemical sciences at a qualifying U.S. nonprofit institution with appropriate laboratory facilities.
  • Sponsoring mentor must commit to sponsoring only one applicant per program cycle.

Sponsoring Mentor Requirements:

• Qualifications:
  • PhD or MD/PhD.
  • Full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty with at least a 25% appointment in chemistry-related departments.
  • Active investigator in the applicant’s area of research.
• Mentorship Commitment:
  • Mentors must confirm sponsorship of only one applicant per program year.

Ineligibility Conditions:

• Applicants with more than 18 months of cumulative postdoctoral experience at the LOI due date.
• Applicants more than 3 years from their PhD (exceptions for documented leave of absence).
• Visa holders are not eligible.
• Applicants may not submit applications to both fellowship tracks in a single program year.
• Applicants may not hold full-time faculty appointments.
• Sponsoring mentors may not support more than one applicant per program year.
• PhD must be completed by May 1, 2026; otherwise, the award will be rescinded.

📝 Application Process

The Foundation uses a 2-step application process:

1. Step 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)

   • Blinded review of the research proposal.
   • Follow instructions for blinding your research proposal and references.

2. Step 2: Full Application

   • Invited applicants will submit a full application based on LOI reviews.

📌 Application Deadline

• September 05, 2025

🔗 Application Portal

• View details of the fellowship on the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
• Apply directly via the Application Portal.

🌟 Sponsor Organization

• Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation

This fellowship provides an exceptional opportunity for postdoctoral researchers to advance their careers and contribute to groundbreaking research in chemical sciences and instrumentation.

• Fellows will be appointed for two years, with possibility for third year by renewal.
• The Fellowship award provides $224,000 over 2 years for salary, fringe benefits, and research expenditures; instrumentation fellowships receive an additional one-time payment of up to $200,000 for material/development costs.
• The Fellowship may be extended for an optional third year, with $118,000 in funding for salary, fringe and research expenditures, dependent upon review of research progress and a renewal application, which is submitted during the second year of the Fellowship.