Purdue University Center for Cancer Research

Beckman Young Investigators Program

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 four years. Grants may be in the range of 0, 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 five 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

Complete the LETTER OF INTENT FORM consisting of 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. Incomplete or late forms will be disqualified from the competition and will not be evaluated.

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

Completed LETTERS OF INTENT should be mailed to:
BYI Program Administrator
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
P O Box 13219
Newport Beach, CA 92658

or sent via ground delivery (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) to:
BYI Program Administrator
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
100 Academy
Irvine, CA 92617

TIMETABLE

The LETTER OF INTENT, as described above, must be submitted to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation prior to MONDAY, October 3, 2011, 5:00 P.M. PST. Materials received after Monday, October 3, 2011 will be eliminated from the competition.

Potential candidates for BYI Application submission will be notified in December, 2011. 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 2012 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 sealed, confidential letters of reference on behalf of the Principal Investigator, either to be included with application/proposal materials or mailed separately. Only three letters will be accepted. At least one of the letters of recommendation will have to come from an expert 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.)
Documentation of U.S. citizenship (copy of birth certificate or passport) or permanent residency status.
A proposed timeline indicating the anticipated progress of the research project funding will support.
Proposed budget.
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.