CDC Disability and Health Program Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: This fellowship opportunity is available for a public health traineeship with the Disability and Health Promotion Branch (DHPB) of the Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD), National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the major operation components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same. 

NCBDDD seeks to promote the health of babies, children, and adults with disabilities. The work of NCBDDD includes identifying the causes of birth defects, developmental disabilities, helping children to develop and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities. NCBDDD has three Divisions that carry out this mission: Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders (DBDID), Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD), and Division of Blood Disorders (DBD). DHDD leads inclusive programs to optimize the health and development of children and adults with, or at risk for, disabilities. DHPB promotes healthy living across the lifespan to improve quality of life for all children and adults with and at risk for disability.

Research Project: This training opportunity is being offered to an individual with lived experience of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to train alongside scientific and programmatic staff within the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities on projects that promote the health and well-being of people with disabilities, specifically IDD.

The individual selected for this fellowship opportunity will gain numerous supported opportunities to develop fundamental knowledge and expertise for pursuing a career in public health. Fellowship activities will advance the participant’s ability to address the needs of people with IDD when developing and implementing public health programs. The participant will interact with CDC’s national partners as well as with local disability service organizations and support networks to assess outcomes of CDC-funded health promotion programs and to identify strategies that would improve the reach and impact of current and future programs. The participant will apply this knowledge toward the development of useful tools to educate health care providers on the essential features of accessible and inclusive health programs and practices.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor from the Disability and Health Promotion Branch, the selected participant will have opportunities to receive training on specific topics related to disability program and practice as well as general training essential for pursuing a career in public health. People with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may anticipate appropriate accommodations.

The participant will gain training experience developing summaries of scientific literature, abstracts and manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and presentations at internal and external professional meetings. Throughout the training fellowship, the participant will have opportunities to interact with internal and external scientific researchers, partners, and public health professionals. The activities associated with this training fellowship will enhance the participant’s career growth while advancing programs that are designed to promote health and well-being among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Jon Baio (xzb1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 1, 2023.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.CDC.NCBDDD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Public Health, Education, Psychology, Nutrition, Health Promotion), or be currently pursuing a master's degree. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills:

• A favorable candidate would have interest in developing expertise in public health, applied epidemiology, and project monitoring and coordination.
• It is preferred that the applicant has familiarity with research methods and communications and lived experience with disabilities, in general, and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), in particular.
• The selected trainee may request reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and CDC policies [Reasonable Accommodation Services | OEEOWE (cdc.gov)].