Beckman Young Investigator Program

Note: This is not a limited submission but requires institutional endorsements, so the process must begin as described below.

The Beckman Young Investigator (BYI) Program provides research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences, particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open new avenues of research in science.

• Projects proposed for the BYI program should be truly innovative, high-risk, and show promise for contributing to significant advances in chemistry and the life sciences. They should represent a departure from current research directions rather than an extension or expansion of existing programs. Proposed research that cuts across traditional boundaries of scientific disciplines is encouraged. Proposals that open new avenues of research in chemistry and life sciences by fostering the invention of methods, instruments and materials will be given additional consideration.
• The BYI program funds promising young scientists early in their careers who have not yet received a major award from another organization. Proposals that already have substantial funding will not be considered for the BYI award (see eligibility for more information).
• Projects are normally funded for a period of four years. Grants are in the range of $600,000 over the term of the project, contingent upon demonstrated progress after the second year of the award. 
• The Foundation does not provide for overhead or for indirect costs.

Eligibility Requirements

• The BYI program is open to those within the first four years of a tenure-track position, or an equivalent independent research appointment, at a United States academic or non-profit institution that conducts research in chemical and life sciences. Tenure-Track dates for the 2024 program must start after 1/1/2020 AND on or before 8/1/2024.
• Applicants must have no more than 10 years post-terminal degree; and no more than 5 years experience in a non-tenure track (not including postdoc position) or industry position. For example, post-terminal degrees received in any month of 2014 are eligible to apply in August 2024 for the 2025 program; similarly, for non-tenure track or industry positions that occurred in 2019, they are eligible to apply in August 2024 for the 2025 program.
• Persons who have applied for permanent residency but have not received their government documentation are eligible to apply; Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States prior to the BYI Interview (late March/ early April) to remain eligible. Applicants with conditional permanent residency who have received Form I-797 are eligible to apply. 
• No individual may apply for a Beckman Young Investigator award more than two times. 
• Investigators can have no more than $225,000 in direct, annualized external funding grants during any BYI Program Year (Aug-July) at time of application. Start-up funds, department-wide instrumentation grants, and "Transition" grants (such as NIH K99/R00) are not counted toward this total. 
• Institutions are not limited in the number of applicants who apply at the Letter of Intent stage. 
• Institutions with a currently funded BYI are eligible for award consideration.

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. A one‐page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach.
2. CV (not biosketch) of the PI including past grant funding.

to limitedsubs@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Wednesday, July 17, 2024. If you are given the go‐ahead by the Limited Submissions review committee, the remaining steps will be completed on the funder’s application portal, including routing for endorsements by your Dean and the Provost’s Office, by the sponsor’s 8/1/2024 deadline. If invited to submit a full application, the deadline will be 1/13/2025 with the OSP deadline of 1/2/2025.