CDC Public Health Data and Informatics Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: This research opportunity is available with the Office of the Director (OD) in the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA.

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. 

Research Project: Data is the foundation of public health. CDC’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) plays a critical role in the agency’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) to build a faster and seamless public health data infrastructure in the US. This appointment will be in OPHDST’s Office of the Director, which is responsible for the oversight and coordination of the strategy for CDC’s DMI activities to support data modernization efforts within CDC and to support public health agencies at the state, territorial, local, and tribal levels.

The participant will engage in opportunities related to identifying and developing strategic use cases for combining public health evidence, best practices, and modernized data science and informatics in order to accelerate public health's ability to address complex, multifaceted challenges such as health equity. The participant will learn from CDC surveillance and informatics staff as they assess the current state of data and systems, synthesize future state data and system needs, and develop a strategic path toward a future state of public health data in the US. The participant will train within a multi-disciplinary team setting, engaging in both group and independent activities, and routine and exploratory projects. 

Learning Objectives: The applicant selected will gain experience in strategic partnerships, health communications, and the systematic application of knowledge about systems that capture, manage, analyze, and use information to improve population health. Learning objectives include:

• Supporting surveillance and informatics assistance to state, local, and territorial health departments
• Understanding how to effectively collaborate with tribal public health partners.
• Collaborating with teams involved in research and development of public health data and surveillance systems.
• Conducting evaluations on complex public health information systems.
• Collaborating on public health informatics projects
• Developing, managing, and evaluating complex information systems.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is James Kucik (ezk9@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 15, 2023.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, 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 only.

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.OD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, with emphasis on evaluation, analytic methods, informatics, public health, or social science. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.