Dr. Eddie Méndez
Dr. Eddie Méndez was a physician-scientist and cherished colleague at Fred Hutch who died of cancer in 2018 at age 45. An expert in head and neck cancers, Méndez was known for being passionate about developing new therapies to help prevent cancer treatment side effects and save his patients’ lives.
Méndez, a native of Puerto Rico, attended Princeton University and then obtained a medical degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. He later came to the University of Washington as a surgical resident, eventually spearheading minimally invasive robotic surgery for these tumors - he was the first in Washington state to perform such surgery.
In 2019, the Fred Hutch leadership created the Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award to extend his commitment to supporting early-career scientists.
Méndez Award
The award recognizes outstanding postdoctoral fellows from any discipline who are conducting cancer, infectious disease, or basic science research.
Recipients receive an honorarium and are celebrated at a scientific symposium, where (over the course of four days - including travel time) they present their research findings, connect with fellow scientists and meet with Fred Hutch faculty and senior leaders.
Application
The application for the 2027 award will open on November 2, 2026 and close at 12am (PST) on February 2, 2027. The application can be found here: Eddie Méndez Scholar Award & Symposium Application
Eligibility
- Be a postdoctoral researcher seeking an academic faculty position
- Be completing a postdoc in the United States
- 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 2027 or beyond
- Have not yet entered the academic job market nor accepted a faculty position
FAQ
You are eligible to apply if you have completed your postdoctoral fellowship within 1 year of the application deadline and are in a non-faculty staff position (i.e. staff scientist, project scientist) with intentions of entering the academic job market.
Yes. Non-U.S. citizens are welcome to apply for the Méndez Award, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. You must be completing a postdoctoral fellowship in a laboratory located in the U.S.
No. Scientists who have entered the academic job market at the time of application or symposium are not eligible to apply. If selected, you will be asked to confirm that you have not yet applied for academic jobs.
A clinical fellowship is not considered a postdoctoral fellowship for the purposes of Méndez Award eligibility. Therefore, a clinical fellowship appointment alone does not meet the award’s postdoctoral fellowship eligibility requirement.
For purposes of the Méndez Award, a postdoctoral fellowship is a mentored research training appointment undertaken after completion of a doctoral degree. Clinical fellowship appointments are not considered postdoctoral fellowships for this award.
No. Applicants who hold a non-tenure-track faculty appointment are not eligible for the Méndez Award, regardless of how recently they completed their postdoctoral fellowship.
If you plan to apply for faculty positions before or during the program events, you are not eligible. If selected, you will be asked to confirm that you will not apply for faculty positions before those events.
Méndez Symposium
The next cohort of Méndez Scholars will be recognized on July 22nd, 2027 in person at Fred Hutch cancer Center. Award recipients are recognized as outstanding postdoctoral fellows who are conducting cancer, infectious disease or basic science research. The award includes an honorarium. Award recipients will deliver presentations of their research findings and engage in networking opportunities with fellow scientists.
Pictured is the 2026 Méndez cohort.
Fred Hutch Visit
To be considered for the Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award, you must be available to present your research at the Méndez Symposium, held on the Fred Hutch campus. In addition to giving an oral presentation on their postdoctoral research findings, Scholars will also have multiple 1:1 meetings with faculty, according to their recommendations, and interact closely with Fred Hutch leadership throughout the visit. Scholars will also tour the facilities at Fred Hutch, affording the opportunity to see several Shared Resources Cores according to their interests. The visit will culminate with time to explore Seattle and a celebratory group dinner.
Scholars will have ample networking opportunities, time to meet one on one with Fred Hutch faculty, and tour the facilities. There are also scheduled times for the participants to explore Seattle.
Yes, travel accommodations are provided.
Please contact oet@fredhutch.org with any questions about the program or application process.
The symposium consists of back-to-back presentations from scholars, who are grouped according to the Division at Fred Hutch with which their research most strongly aligns. Each scholar will give a 20-minute presentation on their most exciting discoveries from their postdoctoral fellowship, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.
The audience will consist of scientists ranging from high school students to seasoned faculty members. Some may be experts in your area of study, but most audience members will be non-expert scientists. Therefore, providing background context for the project is important.
Continuing a Legacy
Dr. Ahmed Diab, an inaugural winner of the Dr. Eddie Méndez Award, remembers his mentor and the connection they shared.