CDC Overdose Prevention Communication Fellowship
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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.
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
CDC Office and Location: Two research opportunities are currently available with the Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP) in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Research Project: The selected participant will train to conduct research either under the direction of a mentor who is the team lead for the DOP Communication Services Team or the under the direction of a mentor who is the team lead for the DOP Education, Campaigns and Implementation Team and will train under CDC communications, policy, programmatic, and scientific staff. Under the ORISE Fellowship program, the ORISE fellow will have the opportunity to train and evaluate social media and digital metrics for communication strategies for preventing opioid overdoses.
Learning Objectives: The fellow will have the opportunity to train in four or more of the following, depending on the specific skill set and interests of the selected candidate:
- Translating scientific content for public health use and application (e.g., distillation of content, application of plain language, etc.)
- Training opportunities will include developing and assessing messaging, resources, and tools for various audiences
- Developing promotions of publications and scientific releases, consulting with CDC subject matter experts
- Facilitating data dissemination; developing and efficiently using graphics, maps, plots, tables, and charts
- Developing responses to external CDC and HHS inquiries and status requests
- Developing and updating prepared responses and FAQs for the Division
- Collecting and analyzing metrics for web pages, podcasts, blogs, infographics, Adobe Campaigns to assess health impact, usability, and accessibility of communications products
- Conducting forecasting portal monitoring, SharePoint document management, exhibiting, shipping invoices
- Developing, implementing, and learning how to manage national communication and marketing programs, projects and initiatives for various audiences
- Planning, applying, and evaluating various communication science and marketing techniques to achieve optimal program results and promote positive health outcomes
- Contributing to the preparation of written documents that reflect a thorough knowledge of complex public health issues and appropriate health communication, health promotion, and marketing intervention strategies
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Valerie Daniel (guh8@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: As soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for up to 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: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
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, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.CDC.NCIPC@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 one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred skills/experience:
- Interests and experience in communication, web design, social media, technical assistance, and project management, preferably in the public health field
- Experience with Microsoft Office suite and project management tools
- Experience or knowledge interpreting and summarizing scientific data
- Experience with digital and social media channels and understanding of metrics, trends/developments and uses
- Experience in managing, planning, organizing, and directing multiple, complex processes across multiple teams
- Experience in demonstrating critical thinking, analyzing situations and data, and problem solving
- Ability to collaborate with other scientific and professional staff
- Experience or knowledge with drug overdose prevention and research



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