The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) has been given a $130,000 award from the Beckman Scholars Program, CSULB announced Wednesday in a statement.
The funding will allow full-time students with at least a 3.5 GPA in the college to engage in independent undergraduate research, according to the statement.
“This kind of support from wonderful partners like the Beckman Scholars Program is transformative for our students,” said Andrea Taylor, vice president of university relations and development, in a statement. “It will offer unequaled access to mentored undergraduate research experiences for our most talented students. They will interact with talented faculty to hone their skills of discovery and learn how to be scientists.”
The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation selects a number of research, doctoral, master’s and baccalaureate universities and colleges to submit applications for the Beckman Scholars Program each year.
CSULB is one of 12 institutions selected in the country to receive the grant this year.
“The program provides exceptionally talented students with a meaningful undergraduate research opportunity while funding the scholars during their award term to eliminate the need for them to seek additional employment,” reads CSULB’s statement. “Beckman Scholars will pursue an independent research project under the guidance of an approved mentor and are required to perform research activities part-time during one academic year and full-time over two summers.”
In the program, each student who is named a Beckman Scholar receives $21,000 and each scholar’s mentor receives $5,000.
CSULB has received four prior Beckman Scholar Program awards in 2000-2002, 2003-2004, 2006-2009 and 2009-2012 that supported 19 scholars.
The grant is part of the $225 million Declare Campaign for CSULB, which is the first comprehensive fundraising campaign in the university’s history and one of the largest in the CSU system.