HHS Office and Location: A physical activity policy and promotion fellowship is available in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of the Secretary (OS), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) located in Rockville, Maryland. 

The mission of HHS is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans by providing effective health and human services and fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services. ODPHP encourages all Americans to lead healthy and active lives. This is accomplished by establishing and promoting national public health priorities, translating science into policy, guidance, and tools, and working to improve health literacy and equitable access to clear and actionable health information. 

ODPHP leads the alignment and coordination of disease prevention and health promotion activities across the department within ODPHP. The Division of Prevention Science coordinates departmental efforts in the development and implementation of: 1) the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provides science-based recommendations and summarizes the latest knowledge about physical activity and health, 2) the National Youth Sports Strategy, which provides a roadmap for increasing youth sports participation, and 3) the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is the basis of all federal food, nutrition, and health programs. ODPHP also supports the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, a federal advisory committee charged with promoting the importance of physical activity and healthy eating.

Research Project: The Division of Prevention Science physical activity team is currently focused on three key activities:

Planning for the third edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (to be released in 2028) and implementing the current Guidelines through the Move Your Way® campaign, Implementing the National Youth Sports Strategy, and Supporting the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. The fellow would be involved with all these project and policy development and implementation activities.

Learning Objectives: The fellow may also be involved in the following learning activities:

Supporting the planning, development, and implementation of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 3rd edition through project management, research, writing, and editing. Supporting the National Youth Sports Strategy Champions partnership initiative by engaging with partners and facilitating collaboration across the network. Supporting events for the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. Observing research to inform the development of additional resources for the Move Your Way communications campaign. Contribute to the planning and execution of community and partner engagement activities, such as webinars and workshops, related to ODPHP’s policy implementation efforts. Participating in cross-agency federal and outside expert meetings. Participating in and reviewing team projects in the areas of disease prevention and health promotion. Developing responses for Departmental correspondence and clearances. Participating in Division of Prevention Science meetings, contributing to program development and implementation. Contributing to Departmental prevention efforts. Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Katrina Piercy (Katrina.Piercy@hhs.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 HHS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience and receive a stipend for healthcare benefits. The current stipend for this opportunity is within the range of $64,957 - $103,619 per year.

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.

Preferred Skills:

Strong communication skills, both orally and written, for various audiences in clear and concise formats; Ability to review and interpret physical activity research and translate findings to various audiences; Be able to research independently as well as with a team; Be a self-starter capable of being in a fast-paced environment; Ability to leverage interpersonal skills to facilitate meetings, manage group dynamics, and foster collaboration; Skilled at project management and detail oriented; and Have strong interpersonal, organizational, analytical and technical writing skills.