CDC GRASP GIS Geospatial Epidemiology and Applied Research Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: This ORISE fellowship appointment is available to participate on the Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program (GRASP) with the Geospatial Epidemiology and Applied Research Team within the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located 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. CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish its mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.

For nearly 30 years, GRASP has led the application of geography in public health to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote health. GRASP works across the CDC, the ATSDR, and the public health community to examine patterns associated with environmental health, public health emergencies, infectious and chronic disease, and injury.

Research Project: The Fellow will:

• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary GRASP staff, contribute to spatial public health projects, and have opportunities to access GRASP training.
• Expand their knowledge in the use of GIS and public health methods, software, tools, and data.
• Build geospatial epidemiology skills and contribute to original research in environmental health.

Research Activities May Include:

• Literature review; data management and cleaning; GIS analysis; data analysis and code review; review existing data sources; preparing results for internal reports, external guidance, or peer-reviewed manuscripts; collaborate with external partner agencies.

Possible project areas:

• Environmental justice, environmental burden, built environment, social determinants of health.

Learning Objectives: As a result of this training the participant will improve their skills in GIS and public health methods, software, tools, and data, as well as geospatial epidemiology and environmental health research.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Adonica Scott (rwq1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 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, 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.ATSDR@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, or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree with completion before December 31, 2028. Degree must have been received within the past five years. 

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Degrees or coursework in public health, environmental or social sciences, or geography is preferred.
• Experience or competency with one or more of the following: ArcGIS, QGIS, R, SAS, Python, Tableau, PowerBI, SQL.