*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is currently available with the Obesity Prevention and Control Branch in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) 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 works to protect 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.

DNPAO’s Obesity Prevention and Control Branch supports both population-based approaches for healthy eating and active living and health equity strategies to ensure everyone has a fair chance of improving diet quality to reduce the burden of chronic disease and support healthy child development. The Branch conducts surveillance, applied research and evaluation, translation and guideline development, and technical assistance on topics such as implementing nutrition standards, creating healthy food environments and food access opportunities in key settings such as hospitals, park and recreation centers, public institutions, and food banks and pantries.

Research Project: The fellow will collaborate with a diverse group of public health professionals, including epidemiologists, nutritionists, and specialists in health education, policy and evaluation. DNPAO has a long history of engagement with state and local health departments, national associations, professional organizations, industry stakeholders, community-based organizations, federal partners, and with multi-disciplinary members of the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN). General activities of the fellowship may include:

• Collaborating with internal staff and partners to inventory resources, training needs, and metrics related to community programs to increase access to healthy foods, including food is medicine programs, fruit and vegetable voucher incentive programs, nutrition standards for charitable food settings and more, to determine gaps and timely practitioner needs.
• Collaborating to develop an approach to support community stakeholders in local food system action planning and prioritization related to addressing food insecurity.
• Participating in community-based participatory approaches to ensure aspects of fruit and vegetable vouchers/produce prescription programs, culturally diverse foods, and tailored messages that can support those at highest risk of nutrition insecurity.
• Participating with groups and teams to determine and develop criteria to categorize promising and emerging practices and advising DNPAO recipients and partners;
• Presenting findings to a range of audiences through written products and oral opportunities. Participating as a member of various Division groups to support the development of a range of translation- and evaluation-related projects.

Learning Objectives: This fellowship will provide experience in DNPAO’s policy, systems, and environmental approach to promoting healthy food access and reducing food and nutrition insecurity. Food security impacts chronic disease morbidity and healthcare costs. At the end of the fellowship, the fellow will be able to:

1. Implement projects and activities to meet branch goals to advance community programs to increase access to healthy foods while centering health equity
2. Deliver clear, effective communication of scientific or programmatic information and take responsibility for understanding others
3. Express scientific and/or programmatic information clearly in writing and in oral presentations
4. Conduct data analyses and summarize results to draw conclusions from epidemiologic data
5. Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external partners to achieve branch goals

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Diane Harris (hva6@cdc@gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 1, 2024. 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, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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.NCCDPHP@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.