Office of Nationally Competitive Awards Selected to Host Prestigious Beckman Scholars Program

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation announced the selection of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at the University of Arkansas as a 2026 Beckman Scholars Program awardee. The university is one of only 14 institutions nationwide to receive this competitive award, which will provide more than $150,000 to support undergraduate research in biology, chemistry and biochemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and related fields.

The Beckman Foundation’s 2026 cohort represents more than $2.1 million in total funding supporting undergraduate researchers across the selected institutions.

“We are delighted that the University of Arkansas has been selected as a Beckman Foundation Scholar institution,” said Provost Indrajeet Chaubey. “It underscores the high level of undergraduate research already being conducted on our campus, the research infrastructure we have in place and the support we provide our students across their academic careers.”

The institutions were selected after a rigorous application process that included a two-part review led by a panel of scientific experts. As an awardee institution, the U of A will receive funding to support six scholar-mentor pairs, with two scholars named per year for the three-year award term. Each mentor pairing will receive $26,000 in research funding.

The Beckman Scholars Program provides 15-month mentored research experiences for exceptional undergraduate students as well as funding for the opportunity to present their research at the annual Beckman Symposium, a research conference developed to promote sharing of scientific knowledge and foster collaboration between scholars and mentors of awarded institutions.

The U of A joins a new cohort of distinguished peer institutions in receiving this award, including the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA and Emory University.

“We are excited to bring this new opportunity to STEM researchers here at the University of Arkansas,” said Matthew Halbert, assistant director of nationally competitive awards and principal investigator for the Beckman Scholars Grant. “By encouraging independent research early in their undergraduate studies, we know U of A students will be even more competitive on the national stage than they already are.”

“We would like to thank the partners across the campus who supported our efforts in this grant application, including the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Departments of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, as well as the Honors College,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and nationally competitive awards. “The success of all of our programs is grounded in collaborative support.”

Students who are interested in applying for the Beckman Scholars Program should contact Matthew Halbert at mh171@uark.edu.

Office of Nationally Competitive Awards: University of Arkansas students and recent alumni interested in applying for scholarships and fellowships and faculty wishing to identify competitive students should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu or 479-575-3771. More information is available at awards.uark.edu. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.