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The Organization
Arnold O. Beckman was an educator, an accomplished scientist, a bold entrepreneur, a civic leader, and a world-renowned philanthropist and humanitarian. Dr. Beckman paved the way for myriad scientific breakthroughs throughout his life, and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundationcontinues this legacy today. Founded in 1977, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation that makes grants to promote chemistry and life sciences research. Dr. Beckman and his wife, Mabel, were partners in every sense of the word, and when he retired, they became increasingly active as philanthropists, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape the future of science and technology through the ongoing work of the foundation.
Throughout his long life, Arnold Beckman was as respected as he was admired. He was recognized as a brilliant scientist and inventor and a devoted family man and friend. Considered one of the top five inventors of scientific instruments in the 20th century, Dr. Beckman created devices that revolutionized the study and understanding of chemistry and human biology. Dr. Beckman's personal qualities of integrity and his deep love for science were always the hallmarks of his highly decorated career. He received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in physical chemistry from the University of Illinois and a doctorate in photochemistry from the California Institute of Technology, where he also served as an assistant professor and later as Chairman of their Board of Trustees.
Dr. Beckman's influence on the scientific community was profound. His invention of the acidimeter, a precursor to the modern pH meter, quickly became an essential tool in analytical chemistry, revolutionizing the field. This achievement earned him a place in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1987. His unwavering commitment to developing and manufacturing scientific instruments led to the release of the Beckman DU Spectrophotometer in 1941, a device that revolutionized chemical analysis. These extraordinary contributions were recognized by President George Herbert Walker Bush, who awarded Dr. Beckman the National Medal of Science in 1989 for his leadership in analytical instrumentation development and his deep concern for the vitality of the nation's scientific enterprises. He was also nationally recognized during the Reagan administration with the 1989 Presidential Citizens Medal and the 1988 National Medal of Technology for his outstanding technological contributions to the United States.
Arnold O. Beckman’s innovations revolutionized science; his philanthropy continues to do so. The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation invests millions annually in institutions and people performing cutting-edge research. The Foundation actively seeks high-risk, interdisciplinary research projects that would unlikely secure funding from federal agencies. Then, it supports the awarded scientists with flexible funding to pursue their research interests. The Foundation is proud to count three Chemistry Nobel Laureates among its alumni: Dr. Jennifer Doudna (1996 BYI) was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for gene-editing technology, Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi (1998 BYI) was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize for click-chemistry, and Dr. David Baker (1995 BYI) was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for computational protein design.
The Beckman Foundation has over $600 million in assets under management and grants approximately $30 million annually. About 60% of this annual funding is directed to individual scientists/programs; the remaining 40% supports the five named Beckman Institutes. The Beckman Foundation supports scientific achievement through various programs, including:
The Beckman Young Investigators (BYI) Program provides research support to the most promising young faculty members in the first three years of their 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 science research.
The Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award Program supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or developing and building chemical instrumentation. This program supports first—and second-year postdoctoral fellows at research institutions who are judged to have the highest potential for success in a chemistry career and will become the next generation of leaders and innovators in science, engineering, and technology.
The Beckman Scholars Program is an annual invited program for accredited universities and four-year colleges in the United States that provides mentored research grants that significantly advance the education, research training, and personal development of select students in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences.
The Foundation also funds five major research centers: the Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California; the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine; the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine at Stanford University; and the Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology.
The Beckman Foundation is proud to support additional innovative STEM and STEAM activities in their local community, such as Kids@Science, which provides STEM teacher training in Orange County; CubeSat, a high school program in Irvine Public Schools to launch satellites into space; support and awards for the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair; Beckman Arts & Science Family Day; and support for the Chapman University Keck Center for Science and Technology.
The Opportunity
The Board of Directors of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation provides leadership and strategic guidance for all of the Foundation’s activities and grant programs. The board partners with the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Executive Director and the Science Advisory Council to implement these programs. Board members may serve a maximum of ten years, with the first year being a probationary year and with board member assessments performed in years four and seven.
The incoming board member will be a financial expert, as defined in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. With experience reviewing tax and other regulatory filing requirements and preparing and reviewing financial statements, this individual will oversee the Foundation's financial activities and recommend and implement accounting best practices and internal controls to protect the organization. They will review annual budgets, actual expenses, and out-year projections and discuss variances with the Executive Director. This individual will direct the work of the outside auditing firm in the annual audit of the Foundation's financial statements and, in particular, address any concerns regarding management or internal control deficiencies identified by the auditors. This board member will also be willing and able to serve as the Foundation’s Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer, if needed, with responsibilities for providing second-level authorization for payments and investment capital calls and executing investment and rebalance activities as approved by the Investment Committee.
Work Environment
The Foundation’s offices are located in Irvine, California. The Board of Directors meets four times annually: in February, in May as part of a day-and-a-half-long board retreat, in August during the annual Beckman Symposium, and in October. These meetings are primarily in southern California, though the board occasionally uses their meetings to visit the Stanford Beckman Center or the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. While in-person attendance is preferred, board members can participate virtually if necessary.
Compensation
Board members are not directly compensated for their service. The Foundation will reimburse members for reasonable travel costs to attend board events. After a full year of service on the board, each board member is eligible to participate in two gift programs administered by the Foundation:
Trustee gifts: up to $50,000/fiscal year to donate to 501(c)(3) organization(s) of their choice;
Matching gifts: up to $50,000/fiscal year in matching funds for any board member donations to 501(c)(3) organization(s).