A fellowship opportunity is currently available in the Community Interventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU), Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) within the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

CI-ICU plays a key role in the development of recommendations on use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for mitigating the transmission of pandemic influenza. NPIs that all people should practice at all times are particularly important during a pandemic. These everyday preventive actions include staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, frequent and appropriate hand-washing, and routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. Community-level interventions can be added during pandemics and implemented in a graded fashion depending on the severity of the pandemic; these include measures aimed to reduce social contacts between people in schools, workplaces, and other community settings.

The fellow will be training with CI-ICU on development of public health programs and projects for pandemic influenza planning, preparedness and response as well as evaluation of public health projects, epidemiological investigations, and literature reviews. This training will include assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of school closures and other non-pharmaceutical interventions; reporting performance measures for science, policy, and communication activities; monitoring dissemination of the non-pharmaceutical guidance for pandemic influenza preparedness and response for state and local health department usage; developing materials used in unit and/or CDC-wide events and activities for use in public health policy or communication; and collaborating with epidemiologists, health scientists, health communicators, and medical officers.

Under the guidance of a mentor, specific training opportunities for the research participant may include:

• Conducting social network analysis to assess social contact and mixing patterns in schools and workplaces
• Collaborating on epidemiological and modeling projects on NPIs
• Developing innovative strategies for reducing or slowing the transmission of pandemic influenza

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. The initial appointment can be up to one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at CDC in the Atlanta, GA, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 1, 2019 

Doctoral degree in science, public health, or a related field. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Experience in conducing social network analysis is strongly preferred.

For more information and to apply, click HERE