HHS Healthy People Health Policy Fellowship

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• 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.

HHS Office and Location: An appointment is available with the Community Strategies Division (CSD) in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) within Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)/ Office of the Secretary (OS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Rockville, MD.

OASH provides leadership to the nation on public health and science matters, and communicates on these subjects to the American people. For additional information, please visit: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/.

The mission of ODPHP is to promote health equity through opportunities for all to lead healthy, active lives. To carry out its mission ODPHP establishes national health priorities, translates science into policy, guidance, and tools; provides clear and actionable health information for informed decision-making; and cultivates partnerships that support public health programs and services.

CSD leads the development and implementation of the Healthy People 2030 initiative, the nation’s 10-year health objectives for the decade. Established in 1979, Healthy People provides science-based objectives with targets for improving the health of the nation. These objectives serve as a catalyst mobilizing action in public health policy, research, programs, and communication across the country and globally. 

Research Project:  ODPHP seeks a fellow with training in health policy and public health to play a major role in the implementation of the Healthy People initiative. HHS launched the fifth and current iteration of the initiative, Healthy People 2030, in August 2020, followed later by the release of two additional elements of Healthy People 2030, the Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) and the Overall Health and Well-being Measures (OHMs). The fellow will assist on all aspects of Healthy People, including management and implementation of the objectives, LHIs and OHMs. In collaboration with CSD, learning opportunities for the fellow may include:

• Supporting activities to implement Healthy People 2030, including designing and executing implementation efforts, and supporting stakeholder outreach and partnership development. Examples of such activities include producing regional meetings, conducting webinars/workshops in collaboration with stakeholders, and supporting formative research activities (e.g., in-depth interviews, survey design, and focus group facilitation).
• Collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics on the production, analysis, and deployment of data for Healthy People 2030.
• Assisting with synthesizing, analyzing, and reporting of public comments on the Healthy People 2030 objectives.
• Contributing to the strategic vision, management, and ongoing enhancement of the Healthy People microsite, including production of Web content.
• Assisting with reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting national disease prevention and health promotion data to inform and support health policy recommendations.
• Engaging in the coordination of the Healthy People Federal Interagency Workgroup and Healthy People topic area workgroups.
• Participating with ODPHP representative on HHS-wide interagency workgroups.
• Drafting and producing briefing materials, slides and talking points for OASH leadership and senior HHS leadership, and participating in briefings, as requested.
• Responding to inquiries and correspondence from the members of the public and stakeholders regarding the Healthy People initiative.
• Conducting issue-specific analyses and writing time-sensitive briefs at the request of senior HHS staff.
• Developing presentations (including PowerPoint slides and talking points) to support Healthy People 2030 outreach and implementation efforts and delivering presentations at national meetings and conferences, as requested.
• Supporting Healthy People 2030 communication and outreach efforts, including but not limited to, developing and reviewing social media content, drafting and developing newsletter content for Healthy People 2030 partners, developing content for the ODPHP editorial calendar, and drafting Healthy People 2030 blog content. 

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn best practices in the dynamic, fast-paced field of public health that guide organizations and communities in establishing disease prevention and health promotion policies and programs and help them replicate best practices in their own settings. This fellowship program provides leadership and management experience in health policy and interconnected fields of public health, disease prevention, and health promotion.

Fellows will participate in federal-level meetings and have an opportunity to interact with leading subject matter experts, including those focused on disease prevention, public health, and health statistics. Fellows will receive opportunities for professional training, gain first-hand knowledge of how policy is formulated, and contribute to initiatives of national importance.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Carter Blakey (Carter.Blakey@hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 2023. 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 HHS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation:  The appointment is full-time at ODPHP in Rockville, MD. However, as the United States recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the participant may be required to carry out the fellowship/internship remotely for either all or part of the fellowship period.

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 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 HHS. Participants do not become employees of HHS, 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 HHSrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Public Health, Health Policy), or be currently pursuing one of the degrees with completion before June 30, 2023. Most recent degree must have been received within the past five years. 

Preferred Skills:

• Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrable training, analytical skills, and experience in health promotion, disease prevention, health statistics, and community outreach
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Strong computer and internet skills;
• Ability to conceptualize and navigate complex processes;
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team. 

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 6/30/2023 11:59:00 PM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (6 )