CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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.

Research Project: The participant will be involved in projects to learn about the development and improvement of molecular tools that inform decisions regarding vector mosquito control and surveillance. They will be trained in laboratory workflow development, specimen processing and management, next-generation sequencing, PCR assay development, and data analysis with a variety of tools (command line using CDC’s cluster computing resources, programs such as Geneious and CLC Genomics, and the online bioinformatics platform Galaxy). The fellow will have the opportunity to develop their own related side project if desired.

Learning Objectives: As a result of this training, the participant will improve their skills in laboratory techniques such as nucleic acids extraction and purification, regular and real-time PCR, and next- generation sequencing using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms. Also, the participant will improve their skills in study design, troubleshooting unexpected results, project coordination, data analysis pipeline development, sharing of results through internal meeting presentations, peer- reviewed publications, and professional conferences, and if desired, manuscript preparation and publishing.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Michael Huston (yfk0@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 16, 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 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 ORISE.CDC.NCEZID@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.