CDC Epidemiology and Biostatistics Fellowship in the Population Health Surveillance Branch

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 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 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.

CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion provides scientific leadership and expertise to prevent costly chronic diseases and improve health across the life span. Population Health Surveillance Branch (PHSB) collections the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in partnership with the State Health Departments. The BRFSS is the nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. 

Research Project: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) collects data on chronic diseases, health-related risk behaviors, health care access, use of preventive services, and other health-related topics. You will receive training and hands-on experience in the analysis and interpretation of BRFSS data to address public health questions related to chronic disease, risk factors, health care access, and other health topics.

Under the guidance of experienced CDC scientists, you will engage in epidemiologic and statistical research examining the prevalence of chronic conditions, health care access and utilization, and health-related patterns and trends at the state and national levels. These activities will provide opportunities to better understand population health patterns and trends and gain experience with epidemiologic and statistical approaches used to support public health research and prevention efforts.

You will also gain experience collaborating with BRFSS Coordinators and other partners in the analysis and interpretation of BRFSS core and optional module data.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, you will:

• Learn how to apply data cleaning, management, and formatting techniques to prepare BRFSS data for analysis.
• Gain experience using statistical software, including SAS, SUDAAN, SAS survey procedures, Python, or R, to manage and analyze complex survey data.
• Develop skills in planning and conducting epidemiologic analyses of BRFSS data to examine health outcomes and non-medical factors that affect health.
• Gain experience conducting and interpreting descriptive, categorical, and multivariable analyses using appropriate epidemiologic and statistical methods.
• Develop skills in analyzing and interpreting BRFSS findings to identify patterns related to chronic disease burden, health care access, and health outcomes across demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic populations.
• Gain experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams on research and analytic projects that use BRFSS data to address public health questions.
• Strengthen scientific communication skills through participation in the development of manuscripts, reports, abstracts, presentations, and other scientific dissemination products.
• Strengthen epidemiologic methods, statistical programming, scientific communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills through mentorship and participation in ongoing research activities.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Machell Town (mpt2@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 9, 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 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, poliovirus requirements (e.g. immunization, testing prior to laboratory access).

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.