CDC Fellowship for Enteric Zoonoses Activity (EZA) within DFWED/ORPB
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 within the Enteric Zoonoses Activity (EZA) Team, Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch (ORPB), Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases (DFWED), 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 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: You will engage in an advanced experiential learning opportunity within a multidisciplinary team of public health professionals, including epidemiologists, laboratorians, doctoral-level scientists, and public health advisors. The project provides learning experiences related to the national network of public health officials who investigate foodborne, waterborne, zoonotic, and other enteric disease outbreaks. As part of the Enteric Zoonoses Activity (EZA), you will explore the epidemiology of enteric illnesses associated with animal contact and learn how multistate outbreak investigations are conducted through collaboration among federal, state, and local officials. Project activities may be adapted throughout the appointment to align with your interests, academic background, and learning goals while aligning with the branch's public health mission.
Learning Objectives: Through this project, you will connect academic knowledge in epidemiology, biostatistics, microbiology, or related STEM disciplines to real-world public health research settings. You will gain experience developing approaches for data analysis, interpreting epidemiologic data using statistical software, and understanding how quantitative methods inform outbreak investigations. Opportunities will be provided to strengthen scientific communication skills through the preparation of written materials and presentations for internal and external audiences, with potential opportunities to share scientific learning under mentor guidance. You will enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills by interacting with multidisciplinary public health professionals and collaborating on learning activities related to enteric disease outbreaks. The experience will increase your understanding of the public health response to zoonotic disease outbreaks and the collaborative processes used to protect public health across multiple jurisdictions and sectors.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kathy Benedict (wte7@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 15, 2026. 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.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
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 be currently pursuing or have received a master's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026.
Preferred skills:
- Strong data analysis skills from public health surveillance systems or other epidemiologic data sources
- Strong skills summarizing scientific information to create public health recommendations
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Experience with communicating research or study findings through written and oral formats
- Excellent team and partner communications skills
- Familiarity with zoonoses or One Health
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026 12:00:00 AM.
- Discipline(s):
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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