CDC Prevention Research Fellowship
To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.
A complete application consists of:
- An application
- Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
- A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
- One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.
All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.
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*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Atlanta, Georgia. It is located on the CDC Chamblee Campus, Building 106, 3rd Floor
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: The CDC 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.
You will train with the Prevention and Health Determinants Team (PHDT) within NCBDDD, Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders (DBDID), Infant Outcomes Monitoring, Research, and Prevention Branch (IOMRPB) in Atlanta, Georgia. PHDT acts to prevent birth defects and identify health determinants to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. PHDT assesses population-based prevalence of preventable risk factors for birth defects and adverse outcomes and translate findings for prevention and intervention; assesses impact of US folic acid fortification and prevention strategies and contribute to US standards and guidelines on folic acid; monitors and informs fortification policies to ensure continued improvements; monitors and communicates about folic acid intake and safety; and collaborates with other Branches/Divisions/Centers and partners on surveillance, prevention, and education.
Learning Objectives: Your training will involve some or all of the following projects:
- Systematic reviews;
- Formative research;
- Learn how surveillance, research, and prevention projects are designed and conducted;
- Utilization of statistical software, analyses of data, and summarization of findings;
- Learn about the development and evaluation of intervention and prevention strategies;
- Translation of scientific research and data into education and dissemination products, such as scientific manuscripts, posters, fact sheets, and other formats;
- Oral and written presentations at meetings and scientific conferences.
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 and prevention. Opportunities are aimed at furthering the health communication science, formative research, and epidemiological and analytical knowledge of the fellow. You will train on various projects and can expect to gain valuable learning experiences in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health education campaigns; surveillance and research studies, data analyses and interpretation of results, and prevention research and strategies. In addition, written and oral communication skills (e.g., scientific writing and general communication) will be honed.
Mentor(s): The mentors for this opportunity are Cara Mai (cwm7@cdc.gov), and the sub-mentor is Denise Boggs (cln1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentors.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 4, 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year 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.
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.
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.
The qualified candidate should possess or be currently pursuing either a master's or a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date, or be anticipated to receive by 6/30/2027.
Preferred skills:
Skills and/or experience that would be considered favorable for a candidate who is applying for this opportunity:
- Education or experience with formative research;
- Education or knowledge with statistical software, such as R;
- Education or experience analyzing large data sets;
- Education or experience conducting analyses in areas such as epidemiology, behavioral science, prevention research, implementation science;
- Education or experience conducting scientific literature reviews, including systematic reviews;
- Education or experience producing technical/scientific reports, presentations, and/or manuscripts;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 6/30/2027 11:59:00 PM.
- Discipline(s):
- Age: Must be 18 years of age
I certify that I have not previously been employed by CDC or by a contractor working directly for CDC. I understand that CDC does not permit individuals with a prior employment relationship with CDC or its contractors to participate as trainees in the ORISE program. (Exceptions may be granted for individuals who, since the previous CDC employment, have obtained a new STEM degree which necessitates training in a new field.)
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