CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH), within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) 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 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 mission of CDC’s DRH is to promote optimal reproductive and infant health and quality of life by influencing public policy, health care practice, community practices, and individual behaviors through scientific and programmatic expertise, leadership, and support. DRH’s Fertility Epidemiology Studies (FES) Team conducts research related to the epidemiology of fertility, including the safety and effectiveness of contraceptive methods.

Research Project: During 2021-2023, CDC will be updating the US contraception guidelines. The update process will include activities to determine the scope of the update, conduct systematic reviews of the evidence to help determine updated recommendations, convene a meeting to receive external input on the evidence and updated recommendations, develop and publish updated editions of US MEC and US SPR, update and develop new provider tools, and disseminate and implement the guidelines.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the selected Fellow will train with the FES Team in the following activities:

• determining the scope of the US MEC/SPR update, including coordinating review of public comments and participating in a scoping meeting
• conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in preparation for the US MEC/SPR update meeting
• planning for the US MEC/SPR update meeting and presenting evidence from systematic reviews during the meeting
• contributing to the development of the updated US MEC/SPR publications, including finalizing recommendations and evidence summaries
• participating in dissemination and implementation activities, including updating and developing new provider tools, collaborating with partners, and planning a partner webinar
• managing the web-based Continuous Identification of Research Evidence (CIRE) system
• providing technical assistance to WHO on the global contraception guidelines

Learning Objectives: This is an excellent opportunity for a Fellow who wants to apply epidemiological skills to real life programmatic questions; gain thorough knowledge of the scientific evidence regarding contraceptive safety and effectiveness; acquire experience in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses; prepare manuscripts for publication; and network with the major family planning experts in the US and around the world. Depending on the Fellow’s interests, there will be opportunities for peer-review publications, presentations at the CDC and at national scientific meetings, data analyses on other reproductive health topics leading to publication, contribute to the FES Team’s abortion surveillance activities, collaboration on other projects within DRH, and access to CDC training opportunities.

Mentor(s): The mentors for this opportunity are Maura Whiteman (acq5 [at] cdc [dot] gov), Kate Curtis (kmc6 [at] cdc [dot] gov) and Chernique Conyers (fli6 [at] cdc [dot] gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 2021.  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.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE [dot] CDC [dot] NCCDPHP [at] orau [dot] 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 one of the degrees with completion by the end of December 2021. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

• Strong desire to use epidemiology to influence reproductive health policy globally and domestically
• Thorough grounding in basic epidemiological principles, including study design, analytic techniques, sources of bias, and interpretation and application of study results
• Knowledge and experience in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses 
• Knowledge and experience in the areas of reproductive health and contraception
• Excellent writing skills and strong interest in writing scientific papers and evidence-based guidelines documents
• Excellent communication skills and confidence with preparing and delivering oral presentations
• Excellent analytic skills and some experience in conducting epidemiological analyses

Eligibility Requirements:

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2021 11:59:00 PM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Communications and Graphics Design
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics 
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences 

Click here to apply!