CDC Office and Location: An opportunity is currently available with the Global Health Center (GHC) within the Global Immunization Division (GID) 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: The cholera and typhoid vaccine team within the Global Immunization Division (GID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works towards preventing cholera and typhoid morbidity and mortality through the effective and equitable use of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) and typhoid-conjugate vaccine (TCV) through building partnerships and in-country capacity to generate and use evidence to support data- driven decisions.

Oral cholera vaccines are delivered through campaigns to help build up immunity to prevent outbreaks or to help control outbreaks. Thus, achieving high quality campaigns (defined as having high coverage [>70%] and appropriate targeting) is essential for the campaigns to impact disease. Several other vaccine antigens are also routinely delivered through campaigns and are strongly supported by GID, specifically measles, rubella, and polio. This project aims to compile and review the current campaign quality indicators and strategies from across multiple vaccine antigens to provide lessons learnt and inform strengthening OCV campaign implementation and monitoring. The trainee will also support the team to pilot and evaluate several tools to facilitate OCV campaign planning and evaluation at the country level.

Learning Objectives: The trainee will gain a detailed understanding of the components of vaccine campaign implementation, including the challenges, limitations, and impact on the routine immunization system. They will have the opportunity to design, implement, and analyze the pilot studies. The placement would allow the trainee to gain experience collaborating with international Public Health partners and Ministries of Health and experience implementing projects and campaigns internationally. The trainee will be encouraged to present their findings through presentations within CDC and more broadly and published manuscripts.

Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity is Lucy Breakwell (xdc3@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

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

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and 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.CGH@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.