CDC Microbiologist Fellowship with the Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch, Biofilm Team
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available in the Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch (CEMB) of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) within the National Center for Zoonotic and Emerging Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 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.
The Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch (CEMB) is the laboratory branch in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). The mission of DHQP is to protect patients; protect healthcare personnel; and promote safety, quality, and value in both national and international healthcare delivery systems.
Research Project: The Biofilm team in CEMB is seeking applications for a Master's level ORISE Fellow. The team performs applied laboratory research to detect, prevent, and control antimicrobial-resistant organisms and healthcare pathogens associated with microbial biofilms in healthcare settings.
The fellow will join the Team as a Microbiologist to train on ongoing research projects related to the detection of antibiotic resistant organisms from premise plumbing wastewater, and projects investigating the use of bacteriophage or other novel strategies for the prevention and control of biofilm-associated pathogens and antimicrobial resistant organisms in the healthcare environment.
Learning Objectives: The fellow's training opportunities will include conducting research with biofilm model systems, DNA extraction, PCR, methods for bacteriophage characterization, and assistance with whole genome and metagenomic sequencing. The fellow will gain experience collaborating with other teams and branches within DHQP and in communicating findings with CDC colleagues and public health partners.
Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity is Margaret Williams (cux6@cdc.gov). Please contact them if you have questions about the nature of this research.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 1, 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, 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.NCEZID@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Microbiology, Public Health, Laboratory Sciences), or be currently pursuing the degree with completion before the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.
Preferred Skills:
- MS/MA degree concentration or training in environmental sciences, microbiology and/or molecular biology.
- Knowledge of and familiarity with the techniques and above skills are preferred but not required.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, particularly excel is desired.
- Demonstrated organizational and communications skills, including preparation of written materials such as documents and reports is also desired.
- Demonstrated ability to work efficiently, both independently and as part of a team.