Funding and Career Opportunities

Fred Hutch is seeking applications for the 7th Annual Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award, which recognizes outstanding postdoctoral fellows from any discipline conducting research on cancer, infectious diseases, or basic science. The award was created to recognize Dr. Méndez’s commitment to cancer research and supporting early-career scientists from historically excluded backgrounds. This award aims to build a community between postdoctoral scholars aiming to pursue academic faculty careers and scientists at Fred Hutch.

This award recognizes the achievements of post-doctoral fellows from backgrounds that are underrepresented in science based on the NIH definition, which includes individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders), individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. We acknowledge that not all groups historically excluded from science are within the NIH definition and have expanded eligibility to also include scientists who are LGBTQ+, formerly incarcerated, and more. Additionally, this award is open to individuals of all nationalities (e.g., being a U.S. citizen/permanent resident is not required). A selection committee consisting of Fred Hutch faculty will select up to eight awardees. Fred Hutch will provide an honorarium to awardees, and Fred Hutch will cover all expenses related to travel and accommodations. Awardees will present their postdoctoral research at a scientific symposium honoring Dr. Eddie Méndez and have the opportunity to meet with Fred Hutch faculty and senior leaders. We will hold this event in person on the Fred Hutch campus in Seattle in July 16-17th 2025.

Dr. Méndez, who died of cancer in 2018, specialized in treating head-and-neck cancer, an often disfiguring and debilitating disease. It was his mission to save lives and improve the well-being of cancer patients, whether through spearheading minimally invasive robotic surgery for these tumors (he was the first in Washington state to perform such surgery) or tirelessly developing new treatments in his laboratory at Fred Hutch.

Eligibility (at the time of application submission and symposium):

• Be a post-doctoral researcher from a disadvantaged background seeking an academic faculty position.
• Be completing research that aligns with the work being pursued at Fred Hutch.
• Have plans to enter the academic job market in the Fall of 2025 or beyond.
• Have not yet entered the academic job market nor accepted a faculty position.

Qualifications: Qualified applicants will have made innovative research contributions during their postdoctoral training, be planning to pursue an academic research career, have a clear direction in their future research vision, and be conducting research that is broadly applicable to the research being pursued at Fred Hutch.

Required Application Materials:

• CV
• Postdoctoral Research Narrative (1 page)
• Future Research Directions (up to 1 page)
• Personal statement (1/2 page)
• Faculty Letter of Support

Application Instructions:

Your CV

Postdoctoral Research Narrative (1 page): Please describe your postdoctoral research accomplishments. As a reminder, your application may be reviewed by someone outside your field of study.

In your research statement, please answer the following questions:

1. What is the rationale underlying your project?
2. What are the major discoveries you have made during your postdoctoral fellowship?
3. Why is your work innovative, and why are your findings significant?
4. How does your work challenge or extend existing paradigms within your field?

Future Research Directions (up to 1 page): Describe the proposed research program you plan to pursue as a future faculty member. Please include background, rationale, research program directions and the approach you will take to accomplish them (up to one page).

Personal Statement: Eddie Mendez was not only recognized as an outstanding researcher but he was also committed to family and community. Those in his lab frequently spoke about his dedication to mentoring scientists. Please write a personal narrative that supports how you exemplify these values. You may also discuss your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion and any barriers you have overcome throughout your career. While there is no designated format for the personal statement, please clearly state how your application aligns with the spirit of the Eddie Méndez Award.

Faculty Letter of Support: Please identify a faculty member with knowledge of you and your research who is willing to provide a letter of recommendation to support your application. Note that this letter of support does not need to be from your primary mentor and you will not be penalized for not having a letter from your postdoctoral mentor.

Identify the Division(s) at Fred Hutch most closely aligned with your scientific interests and research.

Application (Due February 1st): https://apply.interfolio.com/157983

Questions? Please contact Sara Muskus at scole2@fredhutch.org.

At Fred Hutch, we believe that the innovation, collaboration, and rigor that result from diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to our mission of eliminating cancer, infectious diseases and understanding the mechanisms of disease. Fred Hutch is in pursuit of becoming an antiracist organization. We are thus committed to supporting the diversification of academia. More information about our efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion can be found here.

About

L’Oréal USA partners with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to manage the program’s application and peer-review process. Each year, the program attracts talented applicants from diverse STEM fields, representing some of the nation’s leading academic institutions and laboratories. Celebrating its sixteenth year in the U.S., the For Women in Science program has awarded 85 postdoctoral women scientists over $4 million in grants to advance their research and careers. 

For more information take a look at our frequently asked questions and Facts Sheet.

 Still have questions? Contact us at lorealusafellowships@aaas.org. 

Changing the Face of STEM

To continue the momentum inspired by the L’Oreal USA For Women in Science Awards, AAAS is also administering L’Oreal’s new Changing the Face of STEM Mentoring Grants, designed to support former FWIS fellows to mentor the next generation of women and girls in STEM fields. These are $2,500 grants awarded to FWIS alumni to develop STEM education outreach initiatives. 

Interested in Applying? 

The application cycle for 2025 is now open. You can find the application site here. 

Excellence in science depends on the development of scientists from all backgrounds. HHMI initiatives foster inclusive scientific environments where everyone can thrive.

The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program is a transformational award for early career researchers who show exceptional promise of becoming outstanding leaders in academic science, making foundational discoveries while building an inclusive scientific culture. Through their successful careers, Hanna Gray Fellows will move science forward and will recruit, mentor, and inspire the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds.

Fellows receive funding for their postdoctoral training and during their early years as independent faculty. In addition to financial support, Hanna Gray Fellows join the vibrant multigenerational HHMI community, where fellows learn with experts and each other how to build healthy research environments that are creative, bold, inclusive, and effective. 

Learn more about the 2025 competition from the Hanna Gray Fellows Program team in these informational webinars.

The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program is part of NIH’s efforts to enhance diversity within the academic biomedical research workforce, and is designed to facilitate the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, for example individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce at the faculty level, into independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. The program has two components: an institutionally-focused research education cooperative agreement (UE5) and an individual postdoctoral career transition award (K99/R00) to enhance diversity. The objective of the MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) is to enhance workforce diversity by facilitating a timely transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds (e.g., see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity) from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions.

MOSAIC UE5 Funding Opportunity Announcement, PAR-21-277

The MOSAIC UE5 program supports awards to independent organizations (e.g., scientific societies). MOSAIC UE5 awardees will support educational activities that equip MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars with professional skills and provide them with the appropriate mentoring and professional networks to allow them to transition into, advance, and succeed in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. MOSAIC UE5 awardees will:

• Develop cohorts of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars based on scientific areas;
• Provide opportunities for MOSAIC scholars to engage in career development activities that will foster their progression to and success in independent academic research careers (e.g. courses for skills development);
• Enhance the scientific and professional networks of MOSAIC scholars beyond their local institutions;
• Identify and connect scholars with additional mentors who can facilitate appropriate career advancement;
• Organize regular meetings that provide appropriate leaders at the institutions where MOSAIC scholars conduct research (e.g., postdoctoral research advisors or postdoctoral affairs deans during the mentored research phase; department chairs, deans, or provosts during the independent phase) a forum to exchange ideas, and share evidence-informed approaches to improve mentoring relationships, promote inclusion and equity in the biomedical research enterprise, and enhance diversity;
• Enhance institutional accountability for the scholars’ career advancement; and
• Track and publicize outcomes (e.g., publicly available websites).

Current MOSAIC UE5 Awardees are The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), and The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Awardee organizations must provide career development and mentoring activities aligned with and appropriate for the disciplinary backgrounds of scholars supported through the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. Areas of programmatic need will be indicated through Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) released annually by NIH. Applications that do not address the program areas of need specified in the NOSI will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

The NOSI for the November 2022 receipt date is NOT-GM-22-038.

MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00)

MOSAIC K99/R00 Funding Opportunity Announcements

• PAR-21-271 – MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PAR-21-272 – MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Required)
• PAR-21-273 – MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 – Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required (BESH)

The MOSAIC K99/R00 program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds (e.g., see NIH’s Interest in Diversity) from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. The MOSAIC K99/R00 program will provide independent NIH research support before and after this transition to help awardees launch successful, independent research careers. Additionally, MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars will be part of organized scientific cohorts and will be expected to participate in mentoring, networking, and professional development activities coordinated by MOSAIC Institutionally-Focused Research Education Award to Promote Diversity (UE5) grantees.

MOSAIC K99/R00 Program Goals and Considerations

The MOSAIC K99/R00 program is intended to foster the development of creative, innovative, independent researchers who will be competitive for subsequent independent biomedical research funding, and who will enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. Additionally, it is widely recognized that scientists from underrepresented groups often assume disproportionate academic service and outreach loads, even during their training, and that these contributions to the research environment are generally not appropriately recognized and rewarded in the measures of career advancement (i.e., “the diversity tax”). The MOSAIC K99/R00 program seeks to support early career scientists with demonstrated and compelling commitments and contributions to enhancing diversity in the biomedical sciences..

Individuals must be in mentored, postdoctoral training positions to be eligible to apply to the K99/R00 program. The K99 is not intended to extend time in the postdoctoral lab while an individual is on the job market. If an applicant achieves independence (any faculty or non-mentored research position) before a K99 award is made, neither the K99, nor the R00 award, will be made.

The K99/R00 award will provide up to 5 years of support in two phases. The initial (K99) phase will provide support for up to 2 years of mentored postdoctoral career development. The second (R00) phase will provide up to 3 years of independent research support, which is contingent on satisfactory progress during the K99 phase and an approved, independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position. The two award phases are intended to be continuous in time. Although exceptions may be possible in limited circumstances, R00 awards will generally only be made to those K99 PDs/PIs who accept independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions by the end of the K99 award period.

Applicants must have no more than 4 years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the initial or the subsequent Resubmission application. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply no later than the third year of their postdoctoral training to ensure awardees receive maximum benefit from both the K99 phase of the award, and to facilitate a timely transition to independence. Because the program aims to support the career development of scholars early in their postdoctoral training, candidates who have not yet published a first-author manuscript during their postdoctoral training, but whose previous and current studies and future plans are likely to support a successful independent research career are encouraged to apply.

The K99/R00 award is intended for individuals who require at least 12 months of mentored career development (K99 phase) before transitioning to the R00 award phase of the program. Consequently, the strongest applicants will require and propose a well-conceived plan for 1–2 years of substantive mentored career development that will help them become competitive candidates for tenure-track faculty positions and prepare them to launch robust, independent research programs. An individual who cannot provide a compelling rationale for at least one year of additional mentored career development at the time of award is not a strong candidate for this award. If an applicant achieves independence (any faculty or non-mentored research position) before a K99 award is made, neither the K99, nor the R00 award, will be made.

MOSAIC K99/R00 Applicant Eligibility

Candidates for the K99/R00 award must have a clinical or research doctorate (including PhD, MD, DO, DC, ND, DDS, DMD, DVM, ScD, DNS, PharmD or equivalent doctoral degrees). Clinicians (including those with MD, DDS, DVM and other licensed health professionals) in a clinical faculty position that denotes independence in clinical responsibilities but not in research may also be eligible for the K99/R00 award.

By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status). K99/R00 applicants must have no more than 4 years of postdoctoral research experience as of the relevant application due date regardless of whether it is a New or Resubmission application. Individuals must be in mentored, postdoctoral training positions to be eligible to apply to the K99/R00 program. If an applicant achieves independence (i.e., any faculty or non-mentored research position) before a K99 award is made, neither the K99 award, nor the R00 award, will be issued.

Consistent with the NIH Extension Policy for Early Stage Investigator Status (ESI), NIH will approve an extension of one year for childbirth within the 4-year K99 eligibility window. Applicants who will be PD/PIs on a K99 application must provide the child’s date of birth in the extension request justification submitted to IC program officials and/or scientific/research contacts listed in the FOA at least 12 weeks before submitting an application.

Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations is not included in the 4-year eligibility limit, nor is clinical training with no research involvement (e.g., full-time residency training). Part-time postdoctoral research training, related to personal or family situations or occurring during a research residency or fellowship, will be pro-rated accordingly. In addition, time spent conducting postgraduate clinical training that does not involve research is not considered as part of the 4-year research training eligibility limit. Only time dedicated to research activities counts toward the 4-year limit. Please refer to the NIH Extension Policy for Eligibility Window for Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00).

For more information about the MOSAIC UE5 and K99/R00 Programs, please read the FOAs, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and contact Dr. Kenneth Gibbs or Dr. Kalynda Gonzales Stokes.

For more information and to apply, visit their website here.

Supports postdoctoral researchers in performing work that will broaden their perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help establish them in leadership positions within the atmospheric and geospace sciences communities.

Synopsis

The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS), awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (PRF) to highly qualified early career investigators to carry out an independent research program. The research plan of each Fellowship must address scientific questions within the scope of AGS disciplines. These disciplines include Atmospheric Chemistry (ATC), Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics (CLD), Paleoclimate (PC), and Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM) in the Atmospheric Sciences, and Aeronomy (AER), Magnetospheric Physics (MAG), Solar Terrestrial (ST), and Space Weather Research (SWR) in the Geospace Sciences.

The AGS-PRF program supports researchers (also known as Fellows) for a period of up to 24 months with Fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with experiences in research that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help establish them in leadership positions within the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences community. Fellowships are awarded to individual Fellows, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.

AGS has made it a priority to address challenges in creating an inclusive geoscience discipline through activities that increase belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI). Proposers are encouraged to explicitly address this priority in their proposed activities. Proposers who are women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), or who have attended two-year colleges and minority-serving institutions for undergraduate or graduate school, or plan to conduct their Fellowship activities at one of these institutions (e.g. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Hawaiian Native and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions) are especially encouraged to apply.

Program Notice: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/atmospheric-geospace-sciences-postdoctoral