CDC Public Health Evaluation and Data Use Fellow

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is currently available in the Science and Evaluation Unit, Division of State and Local Readiness in 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.

The Science and Evaluation Unit is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of scientific and evaluative initiatives that assess the PHEP program, from initial design and data collection through analysis, reporting, and follow-through on findings. With a focus on continuous improvement, the unit works to close the loop between evaluation and action. The Unit strives to use lessons learned from one cycle of assessment directly inform the design, priorities, and technical assistance of the next so that the PHEP program continually strengthens its capabilities based on evidence.

The Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR) administers CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement, which supports preparedness activities nationwide and provides technical assistance to 62 state, local, and territorial PHEP awardees.

Research Project: This fellowship is designed for a creative, user-centered fellow who is passionate about closing the gap between data collection and data use. Rather than focusing solely on generating findings, you will focus on ensuring that program data, evaluation results, and performance measures are actively understood, valued, and applied by program staff, partners, and stakeholders to drive improvement.

The project will provide you with an opportunity to apply and further develop skills in evaluation, facilitation, and communication in a public health setting, while helping build a stronger bridge between data and decision-making.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, you will be involved with several learning activities of the branch, including:

• Gain experience designing and facilitating data walks, learning collaboratives, after-action discussions, and other sessions that help staff and partners interpret and act on evaluation and performance data.
• Develop skills translating complex evaluation findings and performance measures into clear, visually compelling products, including infographics, briefs, and interactive data visualizations tailored to diverse audiences.
• Learn about the development and testing of dissemination strategies that expand the reach, accessibility, and practical use of evaluation findings across internal teams, jurisdictions, and partner organizations.
• Build communication skills by fostering dialogue among evaluators, program staff, and stakeholders to promote data-informed decision-making and continuous quality improvement.
• Apply user-centered design and communication-science principles to evaluation reports, data, and dissemination materials.
• Collect and train to use feedback from data users to continuously improve the presentation, accessibility, and dissemination of evaluation results.
• Strengthen collaboration skills by participating in CDC groups and being on projects or studies with CDC programs and centers, federal agencies, state and local health departments, and partner organizations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Suzette Brown (snp4@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 1, 2027. 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.

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