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Draft:Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation

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 Updates since last submission: Removed section on founders (consolidated into a single paragraph at the start of Mission & History) Updated section on Nobel winners to include 2024 laureate Added more news articles and other references specific to the foundation and removed sources that focus of the founders except where their work in the foundation is a focus Editorialalex (talk) 20:13, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

  • Comment: Sources seems more reliable, but all but 2 rs seems to talk about the founders and not the foundation. ABG (Talk/Report any mistakes here) 23:26, 9 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: A company/organisation should not inherit notability of its founder. Most of the sources, though some unreliable were all about the founders. Please find sources that are independent and significantly covers the organisation (PR release are not included). Safari ScribeEdits! Talk! 19:16, 29 June 2024 (UTC)


Arnold O. Beckman and Mabel Beckman
Formation1977
Type501(c)3 organization
Focuschemistry and life sciences research, early-career investigators, instrumentation
HeadquartersIrvine, CA
Executive director
Anne Hultgren
Websitehttps://www.beckman-foundation.org/

The Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation is a private foundation that funds research by young investigators in chemistry and life sciences.[1] Chemist and inventor Arnold O. Beckman and his wife, Mabel, established the foundation in 1977.[2]: 317  The foundation is based at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academy of Sciences in Irvine, CA.

Mission and history

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The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center (Beckman Center) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is in Irvine, California. In addition to its conference and meeting spaces, which opened in 1988, it is the current site of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation office, archive, and exhibit hall.

In the early 1930s, while working as an assistant professor at Caltech, Dr. Beckman invented an acidimeter—the Beckman pH meter—which became the precursor to the electric pH meter used to measure a solution's acidity or alkalinity.[2]: 124–131  To market his invention, Dr. Beckman founded National Technical Laboratories, later renamed Beckman Instruments, which became a leading supplier of medical and research instruments as well as electric analog computers.[3]

At age 65, Dr. Beckman stepped down as president of Beckman Instruments, and he and his wife Mabel turned their attention to philanthropy.[2] The couple established the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 1977 to give back to the scientific community.

"I accumulated my wealth by selling instruments to scientists," Dr. Beckman said. "So I thought it would be appropriate to make contributions to scientists, and that's been my number-one guideline for charity."[4]

The foundation started with five gifts given between 1978­ and 1989 that established and constructed five Beckman institutes and centers and a National Academy of Sciences facility. The foundation continues to support research at these five Beckman research institutes and centers[2] with annual grant funding.[5]

Mabel was central to developing the foundation's mission and in the early gifts that established the Beckman centers and institutes. As board secretary, she evaluated proposals, attended meetings and site visits, and made funding decisions. She died three months after the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology's inauguration.[7]

Present mission

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The Beckmans had planned to disburse the foundation's endowment in their lifetimes. But after Mabel's death, in 1990, Dr. Beckman changed the foundation to be in perpetuity and updated its mission.[2] Today, foundation supports innovative, high-risk research in chemistry and life sciences by young scientists, who often aren't yet established enough to win large, federal grants, and fosters invention with an eye toward opening new avenues for basic research.[1]

The foundation also focuses on improving elementary school science education locally.[8][9] In 1998, it announced a $14.4 million donation over 12 years to Orange County, CA, school districts for K–6 teacher training, hands-on science kits, and direct grants.[10]

National grant programs

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1996 Beckman Young Investigator Jennifer A. Doudna, PhD, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 for “development of a method for genome editing” known as CRISPR/Cas-9.
1998 Beckman Young Investigator Carolyn R. Bertozzi, PhD, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022 for the “development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.”
1995 Beckman Young Investigator David Baker, PhD, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024 “for computational protein design.”

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation funds the following national grant programs:[1]

Beckman Young Investigator Program

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The Beckman Young Investigator Program supports chemistry and life sciences research by promising faculty members early in their careers. The grant amount is about $600,000 over four years.

Recent recipients include electrochemist Yayuan Liu[11], quantum technology researcher Thao Tran,[12] and psychology researcher Beau Alward.[13]

Three Beckman Young Investigators have gone on to win Nobel Prizes:

Additionally, at least 33 Beckman Young Investigators have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.[17]

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship

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The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award supports advanced postdoctoral research in fundamental chemistry or in the development and building of chemical instrumentation. The award amount is $224,000 over two years.[18]

Beckman Scholars Program

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The Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research opportunity for undergraduate students in chemistry, biology, or an interdisciplinary combination of the two. This is an institutional award with the amount of $21,000 per student and $5,000 per mentor. Universities that have received the award include University of Virginia[19]; Hope College[20]; University of Kentucky[21]; University of California, Los Angeles[22]; Vanderbilt University[23]; University of Richmond;[24] University of North Carolina Chapel Hill[25]; University of Chicago[26]; and Yale University.[27]

Instrumentation Grants

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The foundation periodically implements short-term grant opportunities related to current instrumentation needs.[28] In 2023 awards were given to Furman University, University of Wisconsin, and University of Washington for the design of mass spectrometer devices.[29]

Additional Activities

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Beckman Speaker and Conference Support Fund

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The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Speaker and Conference Support program provides funding for current Beckman awardees to invite current or former Beckman awardees or foundation leaders to speak at an institutional event.[1] The program provides up to $3,000 per request.

Annual Symposium

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Each summer, the foundation holds its annual Beckman Symposium for current national grant recipients to present their latest research. The symposium is intended to promote the sharing of scientific knowledge and to foster collaboration.

Community Support Grants

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In addition to national programs, the foundation provides local community support grants:

  • "Beckman Family" Awardee Community Support Grants: Current national grant recipients may apply for $5,000 for a project for a local STEM or STEAM organization.[30]
  • Beckman Local Community Grants: These grants support innovative STEM or STEAM activities for youth in Orange County, CA.

A grant of $1M was given to the University of Southern Mississippi for scholarships for students affected by Hurricane Katrina.[31]

Research into application anonymization

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In 2024, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation published results of a multi-year application-anonymization experiment.[32] The foundation found that removing certain identifying information from the first round of applications for the Beckman Young Investigator Award reduced the number of awards issued to applicants from prestigious institutions by 30%.[33] Anonymizing the application did not impact the awardees' gender distribution.[34]

Leadership

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Dr. Beckman served as chair of the foundation board until he was 95.[35]

Jackie Dorrance served as the foundation's first executive director and CEO from 1996 through 2015. Anne Hultgren joined the foundation as executive director and CEO in 2015.[36] Catrina Bryant is deputy director.[37]

Financials

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The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is a section 501(c)3 exempt private operating foundation.[38] A financial report section within the foundation's annual report is included on its website.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Funder Spotlight: How the Beckman Foundation Gives an Early-Career Assist to Young Scientists | Inside Philanthropy". www.insidephilanthropy.com. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e Thackray, Arnold; Myers, Jr., Minor (2000). "Philanthropy and the Foundation". Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence. Chemical Heritage Foundation. ISBN 978-0941901239.
  3. ^ Laws, David (February 10, 2016). "Beckman, Shockley and the 60th Anniversary of the Birth of Silicon Valley". computerhistory.org. Computer History Museum.
  4. ^ Williams, Jack (May 20, 2004). "Arnold O. Beckman, 104; invented pH meter in 1934". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017.
  5. ^ Brown, Theodore L. (2009). "The Beckman Foundation: Arnold's Last Years". Bridging Divides: The Origins of the Beckman Institute at Illinois. Urbana: University of Illinois. pp. 72–76. ISBN 978-0-252-03484-8.
  6. ^ Kleeman, Elise (March 21, 2006). "Cancer center gets boost". Pasadena Star-News. ProQuest 378960583.
  7. ^ "The woman who made Beckman's history". Default. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  8. ^ Seely, Monica (2024-07-25). "Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Awards Orange County Community Foundation $100,000 Grant For Inspired Teacher Grant Program". Orange County Community Foundation. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  9. ^ "IUSD to get $25,000 engineering donation - Irvine Standard". www.irvinestandard.com. 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  10. ^ Nguyen, Tina (September 15, 1998). "Beckman's $14.4-Million Science Project". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 421338919. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Power Struggle: Shedding Light on Why Batteries Degrade". Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  12. ^ Landrum, Cindy (2023-07-06). "Clemson chemist Thao Tran receives prestigious Beckman Young Investigator Award". Clemson News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  13. ^ "Elevating African Cichlid Fish as a Scientific Model of Social Disorders". www.uh.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  14. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  15. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  16. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  17. ^ "Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation 2023 Annual Report" (PDF). Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship". gpchemist.acs.org. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "Beckman Program's Renewal Generates Unique Lab Opportunities for Undergrads | UVA Today". news.virginia.edu. 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  20. ^ Olgers, Greg (2021-01-19). "Record Ninth Award from Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Funds Student Research". Hope College. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  21. ^ "Beckman Scholars share success, invite undergrads to learn about prestigious program | University of Kentucky Research". www.research.uky.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  22. ^ "Unlocking opportunities: Undergraduate scholars programs empower UCLA student researchers across disciplines". UCLA College. 2024-04-01. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  23. ^ "15 years of the Beckman Scholars Program: Providing unparalleled undergrad research opportunities". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  24. ^ "Company News | Awards". Richmond Times-Dispatch. April 18, 2016. p. E12.
  25. ^ "First Beckman Scholars Chosen". The Herald-Sun. May 25, 2008. p. C6.
  26. ^ "Beckman Foundation renews support for science mentoring at UChicago". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  27. ^ Boswell, Evelyn (March 15, 2007). "Research Gets Boost". The Madisonian. p. 9.
  28. ^ givemed (2017-04-04). "Pure Focus". UW Medicine: Shortening the Distance to Healthier Lives. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  29. ^ "Two Furman professors receive $1M grant to support air-particle research". Greenville Journal. July 31, 2023.
  30. ^ "Beckman Foundation Issues Community Support Grant to Los Alamitos Youth Center - The Youth Center". theyouthcenter.org. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  31. ^ Scallan, Melissa M. (May 5, 2006). "Future Eagles land $1M science gift". Sun Herald. p. 8.
  32. ^ Hultgren, Anne E.; Patras, Nicole M.F.; Hicks, Jenna (2024). "Blinding reduces institutional prestige bias during initial review of applications for a young investigator award". eLife. 13. doi:10.7554/eLife.92339. PMC 10963027. PMID 38525941.
  33. ^ Vasquez, Krystal (March 25, 2024). "Removing institutional information from grant application materials could reduce reviewers' bias". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  34. ^ Jacobs, Phie (April 18, 2024). "Anonymizing research funding applications could reduce 'prestige privilege'". Science. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  35. ^ Wilson, Elizabeth K. (June 7, 2004). "Looking Back at Arnold Beckman". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  36. ^ "Women in STEM" (PDF). Orange County Business Journal. June 3, 2024.
  37. ^ "Ms. Catrina Bryant, BA". www.beckman-foundation.org. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  38. ^ Andrea Suozzo; Alec Glassford; Ash Ngu; ProPublica; Brandon Roberts (May 9, 2013). "Arnold And Mabel Beckman Foundation". ProPublica - Nonprofit Explorer. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  39. ^ "Foundation Overview". Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
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