Requirements and Application

Each year, Beckman Scholars @ UVA provides one or more $21,000 scholarships to highly talented, research-oriented students who will work in select mentors’ laboratories for two summers and an academic year. The scholarship promotes a professional level of research achievement during the undergraduate years in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences.

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  • Application Requirements
    • Applicants must currently be a 2nd or 3rd year student.
    • Applicants must have and maintain a GPA no lower than 3.5.
    • Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.
    • All applicants must work with one of the approved faculty mentors. This list cannot be altered or amended. It's important to note that the student-mentor relationship is already established by the time the student applies. The pre-existing relationship between student and mentor ensures that only the most dedicated and capable students, and those motivated by a love of research, reach the application stage.
    • If you are selected as a Beckman Scholar, you agree to fulfill all the program requirements (see below).
  • Program Requirements
    • Beckman Scholars must work in their mentor’s laboratory full time for two summers (40 hours/week for 10 weeks) and then part time during the academic year (10 hours per week). This committment begins in June, just after the Scholar is selected in March.
    • Scholars must take a course in technical writing (STS 5500 "Research Documentation as a Creative Process").
    • Scholars must present their work at a major scientific conference.
    • Scholars must submit their work to the annual ACC Meeting of the Minds Conference.
    • Scholars must attend the annual Beckman Scholars Annual Symposia in Irvine, California each summer (all expenses paid).
    • Scholars are ideally expected to publish their work in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
  • Application Timeline
    • Mid-February – Deadline for applications (February 19, 2021 is the current deadline) 2021 Application Guidelines
    • Mid-March – Finalists are interviewed and Scholars are announced
    • April – Beckman Awards Banquet. Finalists are expected to attend the awards banquet, whether or not they are selected as Scholars, in keeping with the professional nature of these awards.
  • How We Measure Success

    We evaluate our program on the basis of three simple outcomes. Achieving two of these three outcomes will be considered a success, though our goal is for our Scholars to achieve all thre

    1. Beckman Scholars submit and publish a peer-reviewed manuscript, refereed conference paper, or patent application based on their undergraduate work.
    2. Beckman Scholars give at least one poster or platform presentation at a national meeting based upon their undergraduate work.
    3. Beckman Scholars gain admission to graduate or medical school, preferably encompassing a Ph.D. program.

Contact Us

Email Beckman.Scholars@virginia.edu with with any questions. This is also the email to use to submit application materials and letters of recommendation.

  • Beckman Scholar Portrait Dan Waters
  • Lucy Jin and Ana Unaroiu
  • Naveed Tavakol

How to Apply

It's important to note that the student-mentor relationship is already established by the time the student applies. The pre-existing relationship between student and mentor ensures that only the most dedicated and capable students, and those motivated by a love of research, reach the application stage.

Application Requirements

Applications are usually due mid-to-late February. To apply, applicants must electronically submit the following:

  1. A letter describing the student’s interest in pursuing research as a component of their broader career goals, any relevant research experience or personal background, and how participation in this program will advance their academic and research career. Please name your research mentor and indicate your current academic year in this letter.
  2. A current curriculum vita or resume
  3. An unofficial UVA transcript
  4. A succinct research plan written by the student with appropriate input from their mentor. The plan should be no more than two pages in length and include:
  • background as necessary for a scientist outside your field to understand the research problem,
  • the question to be answered or hypothesis to be tested,
  • the scientific approach to be taken and methods to be used, and
  • how the data will be used to answer the question or test the hypothesis.

Helpful hints: Successful applications focus more on the research plan than on background. Literature cited is not included in the two page limit.

 

Two Letters of Recommendation

In addition, applicants should have two letters of support sent directly to the program:

  1. A letter of support sent directly to us by the research mentor that includes a statement of the significance of the work, and the promise of the applicant as a scientist.
  2. A second letter of support sent directly to us by someone familiar with the applicant, but outside their research mentor’s lab

 

Email Your Materials

Applicants and letter writers should email their materials to Beckman.Scholars@virginia.edu. All files should include the applicant’s family name in the file name (e.g. jones cv.pdf).