CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is currently available in the Viral Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch (VVPDB), Division of Viral Diseases (DVD) of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located 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 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: DVD is responsible for surveillance for many viruses associated with vaccine preventable and non- vaccine preventable viral diseases. VVPDB serves as the National Reference Laboratory for measles and mumps and a Global Specialized Laboratory within the WHO Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network. Whole-genome sequences (WGS) of measles and mumps viruses are increasingly used for molecular surveillance and tracing pathways of transmission. VVPDB develops sequencing and sequence analysis methods, shares protocols with national and international partners, generates and analyzes sequences from samples submitted to CDC and coordinates molecular surveillance nationally and internationally. To help accomplish this goal, the selected fellow will assist the measles team within VVPDB. Under the guidance of a mentor, opportunities may include: - Contribute to molecular surveillance of measles and mumps viruses by using existing laboratory protocols to generate WGS directly from clinical samples. - Develop improved protocols and workflows to produce sequencing libraries, including testing of different library preparation methods, sequencing platforms, and in silico analysis pipelines. - Collaborate with partners outside CDC to transfer protocols, including technical support. - Support molecular surveillance of measles and mumps viruses through use of existing bioinformatics protocols for strain comparison and through submission of sequence data to databases.

Learning Objectives: This fellowship will improve VVPDB’s capacity for strain surveillance of measles and mumps viruses. The selected fellow will collaborate with subject matter experts and team members who are working on molecular surveillance in VVPDB. Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity are Bettina Bankamp (bfb9@cdc.gov) and Andrew Beck (lpu5@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 24, 2023. 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: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

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