Beckman Scholars Program

APPLICATION PERIOD

• The application will open February 24, 2026 and close March 13, 2026. 
• The application can be accessed as a Survey on MyUCLA under the “Campus Life” tab.
• The title of our application is, “2026-2027 Beckman Scholars Application”
• The online application may be started in advance using the prompts below. All application materials are due by 11:59 PM. Online applications still in progress at this time cannot be submitted.
• Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

APPLICATION OVERVIEW

A complete application consists of up to three components:

1. (Required) An online MyUCLA application, completed by the student applicant
2. (Required) One letter of recommendation, submitted via email by your recommender to beckmanscholars@college.ucla.edu .
3. (Optional) A departmental thesis report from a 198 or 199 submitted via Box

MyUCLA APPLICATION PROMPTS

1. Personal Statement: How would selection as a Beckman Scholar help you achieve your academic and career goals? 2,000 characters max., including spaces.

2. Challenges Statement: Describe your path to a science major, sharing any challenges you may have faced and how you overcame them. 2,000 characters max., including spaces.

3. Either a Research Proposal OR a Research Statement of Interest  based if you are already in a Beckman faculty’s lab (Research Proposal) or if you are not yet in a Beckman faculty’s lab (Research Statement of Interest). Submitting the incorrect Research document may result in a disqualification from the review process.

3A. Research Proposal (for students already conducting research in a Beckman faculty lab):

Identify your research area, the questions that will serve as a focus of your research, and describe the research project you will undertake for the duration of the program. Be specific with regards to the research question, hypotheses, proposed methods, and expected results. (4,000 max character count) 

The proposal should include the following sections: 

• Introduction/Background, including rationale or justification
• Aims/Objectives – identifying the gap
• Methods/Approaches including timeline
• Anticipated/Expected Results including expected publications
• Impact (Scientific and Societal) including on personal scientific and professional development

3B. Research Statement of Interest
(for students who are not yet in a Beckman faculty lab):

• Select 1 Beckman Faculty (from our approved list) that you would like to work with
• Review the Beckman Faculty’s:
  • Websites – Lab Website, UCLA Webpages, Citation trackers
  • 2–3 most recent peer-reviewed publications
• Describe 1 ongoing research project, in the selected Beckman Faculty’s lab,
  that you would like to undertake for the duration of the program.
• Organize your statement into the following sections:
  • Background – Brief literature review; identify the research question/direction
  • The Research Gap – What has not been done and why you would be a good fit
  • Methods/Approaches – Techniques you would be eager to learn and use
  • Scientific and Societal Impact – Including for your training and development

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

One letter of recommendation, submitted via email by your recommender to beckmanscholars@college.ucla.edu, by the application deadline.

• If you are already in a Beckman faculty lab, the letter should be from that faculty mentor.
• If you are not yet in a Beckman faculty lab, the letter should be from a previous research mentor or an instructor of a previous science course.

*NOTE: Recommenders will not receive an automated invitation to submit a letter of recommendation.

• Letters should be addressed to: Dr. Adriana Galván, Dean of Undergraduate Education
• Subject Line: Beckman Scholars Letter of Recommendation for [Applicant Last Name, Applicant First Name]
• PDF files only
• File name: [Applicant Last Name, Applicant First Name] – BSP LOR.pdf
• Written on an official letterhead
• 2 pages maximum

You can provide the recommender with the following instructions:

“Dear Dr. [INSERT NAME],

I am applying to a competitive research training program at UCLA: the Beckman Scholars Program, managed by the Undergraduate Research Center-Sciences. For my application to be considered, it must include a letter of recommendation from a previous STEM mentor or instructor. I would greatly appreciate your support with this application and would like to know if you can provide a letter in the coming weeks.

If you agree, you may submit the letter, with appropriate letterhead and signature lines, to the following email: beckmanscholars@college.ucla.edu by March 13th, 2026.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Any questions can be directed to the Program Representative, Abby Warner, at awarner@college.ucla.edu and I am also happy to provide you with supporting documents to facilitate this process. Thank you for your consideration.

[YOUR SIGNATURE]”

OPTIONAL PREVIOUS DEPARTMENTAL 198 OR 199 REPORT

If you have previously completed a departmental 198 or 199 course, submit a copy of your most recent final report that you submitted to your department.

• Please use the following file name template: “lastname, firstname Course Report.PDF”
• Upload your document to this Box folder.