Beckman Speaker and Conference Support Fund

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Speaker and Conference Support program is open to all current and former Foundation grant awardees, specifically from the Beckman Scholars Program, Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship, Beckman Young Investigator, or Beckman-Argyros Award in Vision Research, FIB Milling, Light-Sheet Microscopy programs. As a Beckman awardee, if you are organizing or hosting a seminar or conference at your institution, consider inviting a member of the Beckman Family (Current/Past awardees, Institute Directors, Science Advisory Council or Board Members) to be a speaker at your event. If you have a Beckman Family member as a prominent speaker at your event, you may submit an application to this program for funding up to $3,000 per request, in support of, but not limited to: speaker travel support for members of the Beckman Family, room rental fees, reception costs, food, beverage, printed materials, etc.

The Foundation recognizes the need and importance of scientists organizing and presenting research accomplishments as integral aspects of communicating advancements in research, and particularly in finding new collaborations and promoting great innovation in science. Seminars also increase exposure to innovative science, promote leadership and communication skills, and enhance networking within our Beckman awardees. These activities all come with travel and organizational costs that limit the number of opportunities that young scientists in particular cannot afford to take advantage of per year. The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will choose a limited number of Speaker and Conference events based on their relevance to the mission of the program and Foundation as a whole, campus, scientific and community impact, and the scope of appeal of the event.

Generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT or AI, are evolving into essential software in the researcher’s toolkit. Just as graphing and statistical software aid in data analysis and presentation, AI tools can assist authors in their work. The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports the use of these tools as supplementary resources when used in an ethical and responsible manner. Accountability lies with the human authors, who remain responsible for the proper application of AI and the critical review and reporting of its output. All awardees and applicants are expected to comply with best practice in research and publishing ethics, take full responsibility for any errors made by an AI tool, and are expected to cooperate with questions relating to the accuracy or integrity of any part of their work, including data analyses and representation. 

Applications should be submitted by the meeting organizer and fulfill the following requirements:

• Meeting organizer must be a current or past program grant award winner, specifically in the Beckman Scholars Program, Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship, Beckman Young Investigator, or Beckman-Argyros Award in Vision Research Programs.
• Support will be provided for travel costs for a speaker who is a current or past awardee of the AMBF programs: BSP, BYI, Postdoc, Beckman-Argyros, FIB Milling, Light-Sheet; additionally, Beckman Institute Directors, members of the Scientific Advisory Council, and Board of Directors may also be invited to speak.
• Costs associated with hosting the event, such as, but not limited to: room rental, reception costs, food/beverage, printed materials, etc. are also allowable.
• The meeting must address advancements in scientific research or issues impacting science.
• Meetings that have undergraduate students as the target audience will be considered as higher priority for funding.
• Registration to attend the event should be open to all, when possible.
• The meeting must be a stand-alone event; satellite meetings at a larger conference will not be funded.

In reviewing the seminar or conference proposal, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will consider:

• Alignment with the mission of the Foundation to support young scientists and advance research within chemistry and the life sciences.
• The request meets the eligibility requirements.
• The uniqueness vs. the availability of a similar seminar or conference within the community.
• Is the content of the seminar or conference relevant to the community?
• Is there a clear overview of the seminar or conference topic?
• Is there a clear statement of the intended learner outcomes of the seminar or conference?
• Are the timelines appropriate?

To submit a request, send the following information and documents (word format) via email to Esther Devanney at: edevanney@beckman-foundation.org

• Name of meeting organizer with name of your current Beckman Foundation Program award, current Institution, and updated contact information (phone, email, mailing address)
• Name and date of planned event
• Name of proposed speaker, and if the speaker has confirmed attendance or not
• Title of proposed talk
• Statement of purpose for the event
• Description of anticipated event attendees (undergraduates, graduate students, general public, etc.) and anticipated number of attendees
• Amount of funding requested (up to $3,000) and supporting budget materials
• Contact information for financial office to receive funding

Please be aware that if the application is successful:

• The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation logo should be included on all publicity related to the meeting.
• The speaker should be introduced at the meeting as an awardee of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and identify the program and years associated their award.
• We encourage co-sponsored events. Proposers are encouraged to speak with departments and other units on camps as well as neighboring universities.

Requests for Funding are accepted throughout the year but must be submitted at least three months ahead of the lecture.

Notification of Award: Ongoing; generally, within 3-5 weeks of submittal
Funding Requests: Up to $3,000 per request

Fund: Generally, the Foundation will fund up to 20 requests per program year, not to exceed $60,000.
Payments will be made to: Nonprofit, U.S. Institutions via check or online payment portal.