CDC Fellowship in Outbreak Response & Emergency Readiness
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), Global Public Health Emergency Branch (GPHEB), part of the Global Health Center (GHC), in Atlanta, Georgia. This fellowship is based primarily in Atlanta, with the possibility of domestic or international travel during the appointment as learning opportunities arise.
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.
GPHEB brings together public health emergency subject matter experts working across environmental health emergencies, complex humanitarian crises, and emergency response systems strengthening. The branch supports countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and other regions in building capacity to detect, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies — and is frequently called upon to support active outbreak responses, including Ebola, Marburg, mpox, and cholera.
Research Project:
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a subject matter expert and assigned mentor, you will have the opportunity to:
1. Emergency Response Program Monitoring and Applied Research
- Learn approaches used to monitor multi-country emergency programs and how performance data may inform program improvement.
- Gain hands-on experience building dashboards and data visualizations using Power BI and GIS tools.
- Understand how public health indicators align with 7-1-7 and IHR frameworks.
2. EPR Monitoring & Evaluation Framework Development
- Gain exposure to monitoring and evaluation frameworks used to assess emergency preparedness and response activities.
- Learn how monitoring and evaluation tools and training materials are developed and used to measure progress toward preparedness objectives.
3. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE)
- Gain exposure to RCCE approaches used in Ebola response and WASH-related emergency programs.
- Learn how community engagement, behavior change, and trust-building approaches support public health emergency response.
4. Country Office Readiness Assessment
- Learn approaches used to assess emergency preparedness and response readiness in CDC country offices.
- Gain exposure to how readiness gaps are identified and considered in training and technical assistance planning.
5. Cross-Team and Partner Engagement
- Observe discussions among CDC technical teams and global health partners to learn how coordination and information-sharing occur across emergency response efforts.
- Gain exposure to collaboration with ministries of health, WHO, and other international partners.
6. Training and Guidance Development
- Learn fundamentals of instructional design for public health emergency training.
- Gain experience translating technical public health concepts into guidance and training content under mentor review.
7. Outbreak and Emergency Response Exposure
- Gain mentored exposure to outbreak and emergency response activities, including Ebola, Marburg, mpox, and cholera responses.
- Learn how emergency response teams use structured approaches to support country capacity-strengthening efforts.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Ashley Greiner (iwh2@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 1, 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.
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 and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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 have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields (public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, health informatics, environmental health, or a related field.). Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred Skills:
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Strong organizational and quantitative/analytical skills
- Interest in or academic background related to public health preparedness and emergency response
- International experience or coursework related to global health security
- Proficiency in a second language (e.g., Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, or Russian) is a plus, though not required
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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