CDC Public Health Capacity Fellowship (Waterborne Disease Prevention)

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

CDC Office and Location: An ORISE opportunity is available with the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) 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. 

Research Project: The Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch (WDPB) has an opening for a public health advisor fellow to learn about public health capacity activities. This appointment is within the Domestic WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Epidemiology team and will support the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) program. The Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch works to maximize the health, productivity, and well-being of people in the United States and around the globe by preventing domestic and global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related disease. 

The HAB program builds capacity for public health surveillance, response, and mitigation (e.g., risk communications) and promotes partnerships with a national network of state health departments and federal agencies (https://www.cdc.gov/habs/public-health-capacity.html). It uses a One Health approach (https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/index.html) to understanding and preventing illnesses associated with harmful algal blooms and manages the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (https://www.cdc.gov/habs/ohhabs.html).

The HAB program is a multidisciplinary team that places emphasis on collaboration with partners and programs internal and external to CDC. We expect and support a harmonious team environment where we are all confident that we can speak up and contribute, acknowledge our limits (and ask for help or for input), have a collaborative approach that leaves room to adapt as we learn, and take initiative (and lead others) to make connections and be creative and resourceful.

Learning Objectives: This appointment will cover a range of activities.

• Perform various activities related to management of capacity building efforts including leading calls, attending virtual or in-person site visits, and providing technical assistance.
• Assist with activities related to cooperative agreement responsibilities including application review, program evaluation activities, and answering questions from state, local, and territorial partners.
• Develop communication tools and materials for the public and public health partners including reports, success stories, and conference presentations.
• Strengthen public health preparedness and response, including collaborating with partners to develop/maintain internal and external preparedness resources.
• Learn about the public health impacts of harmful algal blooms and epidemiologic techniques needed to conduct surveillance for harmful algal bloom-associated illnesses, events, and outbreaks in the United States.
• Additional cross-training through other WASH projects and program activities (e.g., Healthy Swimming program, emergency response) may also be available.

Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity is Virginia Roberts (evl1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s). 

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 6, 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 and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

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.NCEZID@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 (e.g. Public Health). Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills:

• Excellent time management and organizational skills, the ability to comfortably multi-task, and the ability to interpret and summarize scientific data.
• Excellent oral, interpersonal, and written communication skills, including experience preparing written documents, reports, presentations, and targeted messaging that will be disseminated via the website and social media.
• Quantitative skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; familiarity with SAS, R, or other analytic software and Microsoft Access would be ideal.