CDC Birth Defects Surveillance and Research Summer Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: Research opportunities are available in 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.

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)'s mission is to improve the health of children and adults by preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities, and complications of heredity blood disorders; promoting optimal child development, and the health and wellness among children and adults living with disabilities.

Research Project: Participants under this fellowship opportunity will train within the Infant Outcomes Monitoring, Research, and Prevention Branch (IOMRPB), Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Infant Disorders (DBDID) of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The IOMRPB conducts birth defects surveillance, research and implements programs to decrease substance exposure in pregnancy, supports global efforts to monitor and prevent birth defects, and responds to emerging threats that impact infant health to improve the care and outcomes for mothers and babies, intervention and prevention activities. Training will occur under the direction of an assigned Advisor/Mentor.

Learning Objectives: The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide an educational experience to individuals interested in the field of public health and reproductive and birth defects epidemiology. Opportunities are aimed at furthering the health communication science, epidemiological and analytical knowledge of participants. Participants are assigned to train on various projects and can expect to gain valuable learning experiences in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health communication campaigns, surveillance and research study management, database cleaning, data analyses, intervention, prevention strategies, interpretation of the results, writing manuscripts and giving oral presentations. Participant training involves some or all of the following:

• Literature searches
• Participation in surveillance and research projects
• Translation of scientific research and data into consumer-focused materials
• Development and evaluation of social media
• Website management
• Use of statistical software, analyses of data and summarization of findings
• Intervention and prevention activities
• Utilization of MarketScan or other claims or health record data
• Verbal and written presentations of epidemiological studies or surveillance activities at scientific conferences
• Preparation of scientific manuscripts, posters, presentations, and fact sheets, and other information

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Denise Boggs (cln1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 15 or 22, 2024. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 4 and a half months, 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, 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 degree or Master's Degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing of the degree and will reach completion by the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date or currently pursuing.

Preferred skills:

• Education or experience analyzing data using SAS, SPSS, SUDAAN and/or other statistical software
• Education or experience managing and analyzing large data sets from complex survey designs
• Education or knowledge with R and/or large data sets
• Education or experience conducting analyses in epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, and/or genetics
• Education or experience conducting scientific literature reviews
• Education or experience producing technical/scientific reports, presentations, and/or manuscripts
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Academic Level(s): Post-Bachelor's or Post-Master's.