Christmas came early for Prof. Tom Gilmore, when in late December he heard that two grants for the support of undergraduate research will be funded. First, Gilmore heard that BU will receive three years of funding for the prestigious Beckman Scholars Program from the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation of Irvine, California. This marks the seventh time that BU has received funding from the Beckman Foundation, which is the most of any institution in the nation. Each year, the Beckman award will provide two years of academic and summer funding for two BU undergrads who are selected based on their strong academic record and an early interest in research as a career. Mentors from the Beckman Scholars Program include faculty from Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, and the interdisciplinary Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program.
Second, Gilmore received word that the Biology Department’s ongoing National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) grant will be funded for four more years. The NSF-REU funds primarily non-BU students who are members of underrepresented minorities for ten weeks of summer research with Biology faculty who are conducting research related to the control of gene expression for biological effect. Dr. Gilmore serves as PI on both grants and directs these research programs at BU.