CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is currently available with the Detection and Response Branch (DRB), in the Division of HIV Prevention (DHP) of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Successful applicants will be required to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia for the fellowship.

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.

DRB leads national efforts to identify HIV clusters and outbreaks and support timely and tailored responses. Until recently, clusters and outbreaks of HIV infection were difficult to detect, and most went unrecognized. In 2016, CDC began implementing cutting-edge epidemiology methods using HIV sequencing data and HIV diagnosis data to identify clusters of rapid HIV transmission. When clusters and outbreaks are identified, DRB collaborates closely with state and local public health partners to support investigation and response in order to interrupt ongoing transmission.

Research Project: This fellowship offers the opportunity to gain training on high- priority, high-impact issues in domestic HIV prevention. DRB leads national implementation of cluster detection and response, which is a required activity in all 50 U.S. states as a component of CDC’s flagship $580 million/year HIV surveillance and prevention funding. Additionally, implementation of this activity is one of four pillars of the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative (https://www.cdc.gov/endhiv/index.html). Branch activities include developing, refining, and implementing methods to detect clusters using analysis of HIV sequence data and other epidemiologic methods; advancing health department response capacity through evaluation and guidance, planning, and training; and supporting health departments in responding to clusters and outbreaks.

DRB is recruiting candidates who are interested in building skills while supporting the functions of our branch. There are opportunities for fellows to be involved in different aspects of the branch's activities. The fellow will receive outstanding training in fields related to HIV cluster detection and response, including surveillance, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and public health response. The fellow will also have opportunities to analyze data and present and publish the findings of those analyses and may also have opportunities to be involved in special studies and outbreak response activities.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the fellowship, the fellow will be able to:

• Implement projects and activities to meet branch goals • Deliver clear, effective communication of scientific or programmatic information and take responsibility for understanding others • Express scientific or programmatic information clearly in writing • Conduct data analyses and summarize results to draw conclusions from epidemiologic data • Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external partners to achieve branch goals

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Alexandra Oster (gge9@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: July 15, 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, 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 ORISE.CDC.NCHHSTP@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Preferred Skills:

Strong writing and communication skills. Experience in scientific writing preferred. Experience with quantitative or qualitative data collection and analysis. Some background in epidemiology and/or surveillance preferred. Experience managing a complex project.