Beckman Scholars Program
Undergraduate Research

The FLC Beckman Scholars Program’s primary goal is to support a diverse and talented group of undergraduate students and to nurture and improve future career success in biomedical sciences for chemistry, biochemistry, and engineering students. Students apply to the Beckman Scholars program during the second semester of their first year and, if accepted, begin working with a Research Mentor for the next 15 months (summer + academic year + summer).

Students named Beckman Scholars must perform research activities part-time (ten hours per week) during one academic year and full-time over two consecutive summers (ten, 40-hour weeks each summer).

Beginning in June of 2023, the program will fund two new scholars annually with a generous stipend over 15 months. Students and their faculty mentors will receive the following funding:

• Student stipend of $18,200; distributed as follows:
  • First summer:$6,800
  • Academic year: $4,600
  • Second summer: $6,800
• Student scientific supplies and travel: $2,800; distributed as needed to support current research activities.
• Mentor stipend: $5,000

Each Beckman Scholar may be invited to attend the annual Beckman Symposium in both of the two summers of their award term. A formal notification and invitation will be sent separately, including whether the event will be virtual or in-person. If in-person, travel and hotel accommodations are provided by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

• All second-summer scholars will be asked to exhibit their research through a poster presentation
• All second-summer scholars will be asked to help in recruiting new scholars
• Each year, several scholar-speaking slots are available during the symposium
• A Mentor will nominate scholar speakers, and the Foundation will make the final selection. Requests for scholar nominations with submission guidelines will be provided before the symposium.

• Enrolled at Fort Lewis College and first-year declared major in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics/Engineering
• Full-time student (12-18 credit hours)
• 2.0 GPA or higher and in good academic standing
• Priority will be given to first year students who will have completed less than 45 credits by the end of the Spring semester
• Enrolled or have completed the following: Math 113 (or higher), COMP 150 (or higher)
• United States citizen or permanent resident or hold DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) status
• Interest in pursuing an advanced science degree or other scientific pursuits
• One semester or one summer of faculty-directed research experience is desired but not required
• Plans to pursue a career in the health sciences or biomedical-related field
• Merit, diversity, equity, and inclusion should be considered as factors of equal weight during the Scholar selection process for this award
• Scholars will pursue independent research projects under the auspices of an approved full-time faculty mentor (see mentor list)

Phase I

• Interested students will complete an online application, due March 1, 2024.
• The student will compose a written personal statement that will include the following:
  • A brief description of themselves and their background
  • Their interest in pursuing a research-based post-baccalaureate degree, professional program, or STEM career
  • Their long-term career plans
  • Their degree plan for graduation
  • Two letters of recommendation from current FLC faculty members explicitly commenting on the academic excellence promise of the applicant, their potential for creativity and resilience, and self-motivation for a career in the sciences.

Phase II

• Five semi-finalists will be selected from Phase I
• The semi-finalist will then be given a list of prospective research mentors and descriptions of the type of research occurring in the mentors’ lab. Students will select the top three projects they would like to work on. The students will then meet with the mentor sponsoring each project they have chosen and discuss research and post-baccalaureate expectations for the student. Following these interviews, mentors and potential mentees will evaluate the student's fit in the project, and then a mentor placement will be considered for each final candidate. The grant Co-PIs, the potential mentors, and the student applicants will determine this placement.
• Next, the designated mentor/mentee pairs will work on developing a research and mentoring plan. The plan will form the basis of the secondary application. It will include the aim of the project, the role that the Beckman Scholar applicant will play in the project, the plan for mentoring, including a meeting and communication plan, a rubric used to assess the quarterly evaluation of the working relationship and a method for progressing toward post-baccalaureate career goals.
• As the final step, the selection committee will read and evaluate the secondary applications and select two Beckman Scholars.

Apply for the Beckman Scholarship

Many faculty are available to serve as Beckman Scholarship Mentors. They work closely with Beckman Scholars to develop research and professional skills and provide guidance during the application process for summer research and graduate school programs. 

See below for a list of potential research projects to help you narrow down which Beckman Mentors you might like to work with. We encourage you to contact one or more research mentors about potential projects in their research program.

Beckman Scholarship mentors

• David Blake
• Keisha Carlson
• Christie Chatterley
• Michael Grubb
• Joslynn Lee
• Yiyan Li
• Jeff McFarlane
• Kenny Miller
• Aimee Morris