CDC Children's Mental Health Epidemiology and Prevention Fellowship

Organization
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reference Code
CDC-NCBDDD-2020-0236
How to 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.

If you have questions, send an email to ORISE.CDC.NCBDDD@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Application Deadline
11/16/2020 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

Two fellowship opportunities are currently available with the Child Development and Disability Branch (CDDB) of the Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD), National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

NCBDDD seeks to promote the health of babies, children, and adults with disabilities. The work of NCBDDD includes identifying the causes of birth defects, developmental disabilities, helping children to develop and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities. NCBDDD has three Divisions that carry out this mission: Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders (DBDID), Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD), and Division of Blood Disorders (DBD).

These two opportunities are available within DHDD's Child Development and Disability Branch (CDDB). DHDD leads inclusive programs to optimize the health and development of children and adults with, or at risk for, disabilities. Moreover, major priorities of the Division include a) identifying and reducing disparities in key health indicators (obesity, tobacco, etc.) among persons with disabilities; b) improving developmental outcomes of children; c) ensuring that all newborns are screened and assessed for hearing loss and receive appropriate intervention; and d) reducing disparities in health care access for persons with disabilities.

Under the guidance of mentors of the Child Development Studies Team, the selected participants will have the opportunity to train on projects related to children's mental health and early childhood development.  The projects and activities may include: conducting analyses related to the identification and diagnosis of children’s mental disorders, associated treatment, costs of service utilization, and other factors related to the epidemiology of children’s mental disorders, with a concentration on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome.

Training may also include implementing programs related to children’s mental health, neurodevelopment, and overall child development. The participants will also be able to gain experience developing summaries of new literature, abstracts and manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and presentations at professional meetings. Throughout the fellowship, the participants will have opportunities to collaborate with internal and external scientific researchers, partners, and healthcare providers. The activities associated with this fellowship will include assisting the Child Development Studies team’s efforts to describe aspects of public health impact associated with healthy child development and children’s mental health.

Under the guidance of mentors, the participants will be involved in the following activities:

  • Epidemiological analyses related to the identification and diagnosis of children’s mental disorders, associated treatment, cost of service utilization, and other factors related to children’s mental disorders, with a concentration on attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome
  • Literature reviews and authoring publications
  • Public health communications documents such as PowerPoint presentations and web materials
  • Program implementation research on children’s mental health, neurodevelopment, and overall child development
  • Program implementation and prevention projects for culturally diverse families
  • Research translation products
  • Program evaluation analyses

By the end of this fellowship year, the participants will have:

  1. Trained in public health practices such as communication, data management, data analysis, and project monitoring
  2. Gained expertise in epidemiological and/or programmatic prevention efforts related to early childhood development and children’s mental
  3. health
  4. Participated in activities that promote children's mental health and measure its impact on communities and populations
  5. Engaged in professional development activities designed to support a career in public health

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 2020

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, Georgia, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience in analysis of national survey data, administrative claims data, primary data collected using a complex sampling design, and/or longitudinal data
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Experience in literature reviews
  • Familiarity with research methods and communications
  • Awareness of issues related to children's mental health, its assessment, and measurement
Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (10 )
    • Other Non-Science & Engineering (6 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (28 )