CDC Preparedness and Response Planning, Exercises, and Response Evaluation Opportunity

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available in the Plans, Exercise, and Evaluation Branch (PXE), Division of Emergency Operations within the Office of Readiness and Response, 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.

Research Project: PXE strengthens CDC readiness and response capabilities by developing and coordinating all-hazards response plans, designing and conducting preparedness and response exercises, and evaluating response operations and exercises to identify and advance opportunities for improvement. The Branch also supports development of operational products during Incident Management System (IMS) activations, including contingency plans, incident action plans, and situation reports.

Under the guidance of an assigned mentor, you will have opportunities to learn across the Branch’s planning, exercise, evaluation, and response evaluation. Activities may include training on branch strategic planning, development and revision of CDC response and recovery plans and risk assessments; observing or contributing to interagency and Agency planning efforts; supporting exercise design, conduct, and evaluation using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) guidance; and gaining experience with collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information used for In-Progress Reviews (IPRs), After-Action Reports (AARs), and Improvement Plans as part of the CDC Continuous Improvement Program (CIP). The fellowship is intended to provide hands-on learning in how planning, exercises, evaluation, and improvement activities work together to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response.

Learning Objectives: This fellowship will offer the opportunity to learn about and obtain hands-on experience in the following activities:

• Gain experience applying emergency-management preparedness and response principles, laws, regulations, directives, frameworks, and guidance to CDC response planning products.
• Develop skills in applying Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles to design, conduct, and evaluate preparedness and response exercises.
• Gain skills with agency-wide and internal exercises that strengthen CDC all-hazards emergency response plans.
• Build experience monitoring and evaluating response operations and exercises through interviews, surveys, hotwashes, debriefs, and other data-collection tools.
• Develop qualitative and quantitative analysis skills to synthesize evaluation findings and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Learn how CDC collaborates with federal partners, including FEMA and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to share preparedness practices, response lessons learned, and operational insights.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Bill Howard (wsf1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 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, 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 CDCrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.