CDC Global Emergency Response and Preparedness

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the Office of the Associate Director for Emergency Response and Preparedness (ADERP) in the Global Health Center (GHC) 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 protects 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 important science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.

Research Project: ADERP supports preparedness and response activities in international settings in collaboration with CDC’s overseas offices, Ministries of Health and other partners. Improving our understanding of the types of emergencies and response activities supported by CDC can strengthen awareness of the important role CDC plays in protecting Americans overseas. Analysis of global public health event reporting data, submitted by CDC’s overseas and program offices, will characterize the types of events, response activities, and challenges. Data will be used to improve reporting systems and tools, and will impact leadership decisions around preparedness (e.g., training needs, allocation of staff and other resources, etc.). Findings may be developed into a manuscript and other communications products for public health and general audiences. 

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor and ADERP staff, you will be involved in the following training opportunities: 

• Learn about CDC overseas support for public health emergencies and role in protecting American citizens 
• Gain experience analyzing existing report data and making recommendations for and implementing reporting system and tool improvements 
• Gain experience in scientific writing, data interpretation, and dissemination of public health findings 
• Learn about development of scientific products and improve presentation and communication skills 
• Learn how epidemiologic findings are translated into actionable public health information to support preparedness, response, and recovery activities 
• Develop oral and written communication skills through participation in team meetings, trainings, and collaborative projects 
• Gain experience with communications for ADERP Team and GHC leadership, such as announcements, event summaries, and other relevant items
• Observe and participate in activities to improve preparedness to support public health events overseas, for example, through evaluation of preparedness activities or collaboration on the development and delivery of trainings 
• Increase awareness of CDC’s role in response by completing CDC’s general responder training and response role specific trainings  
• Gain experience providing support to active public health events overseas, including participation in outbreak response coordination calls and deployments for outbreak response activities

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Sarah Bennett (iyk3@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 1, 2026. 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: Stipend rates may vary based on numerous factors, including opportunity, location, education, and experience. If you are interviewed, you can inquire about the exact stipend rate at that time and if selected, your appointment offer will include the monthly stipend rate.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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 CDCrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical information to diverse audiences 
• Ability to think critically and analyze findings 
• Experience synthesizing, summarizing, and presenting information from multiple sources in written reports, presentations, or other communication products 
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with a variety of public health partners 
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple activities 
• Experience with data management, analysis, visualization is beneficial