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HHS Patient Centered Outcomes Research on Maternal Health Fellowship

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
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*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

HHS Office and Location:  A research opportunity is currently available at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) located in Rockville, Maryland.

HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is seeking an ORISE participant to support the activities of MCHB and the Office of Epidemiology and Research (OER). The participant will be assigned to OER within the Division of Research (DoR). The mission of OER is to: 1) Build data capacity at the national, State and local levels; 2) Strengthen the present and future workforce in maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiology and research; 3) Support applied research to ensure that MCH initiatives are evidence-based and reflect the state-of-the-science; and 4) Disseminate information and strengthen the evidence base in maternal and child health (MCH). 

OER plays a central role in MCHB through its support for performance measurement, data analysis, research, and evaluation activities across the bureau. Specifically, OER/DoR manages the majority of MCHB’s extramural research on MCH topics.

Research Project: OER/DoR will be overseeing a project that aims to link longitudinal data from the Boston Birth Cohort (BBC) with Massachusetts’ Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System (PELL) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)’s Social Determinants of Health Database to generate a dataset that can be used to assess patient-centered maternal and infant health outcomes and health equity. This longitudinal data resource will enable researchers to conduct maternal health research, addressing several Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) priority areas. 

The ORISE participant will be mentored by a team of scientists and analysts with expertise in data, informatics, statistical analysis, epidemiology, and public health. The ORISE participant will receive experience and knowledge by participating in MCHB and OER activities related to this project in the following key areas:

  1. Assist in carrying out the project activities
  2. Support the data governance analysis for data linkage and sharing
  3. Document and refine data linkage and sharing protocols
  4. Develop user cases using the linked data to support MCHB’s priorities in maternal health
  5. Support and conduct research using the linked dataset

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Gain federal experience and first-hand exposure to major maternal and child health investments supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
  2. Enhance skills conducting research.
  3. Learn about supporting the creation of an unprecedented, linked data set and its governance.
  4. Refine and expand written and oral communicative skills and competencies.
  5. Gain experience and guidance on how to manage a large and complex project.
  6. Refine data processing and analysis skills utilizing specialized software, to include Stata, SAS, and/or R.
  7. Gain first-hand knowledge of the process of coordinating across multiple institutional IRBs, including the consenting and re-consenting process of research participates.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Rui Li (Rli@hrsa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 3, 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 HHS 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 and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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 HHS. Participants do not become employees of HHS, 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 HHSrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

 

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (Epidemiology, Data Science or related disciplines). Degree must have been received within the past five years, or be currently pursuing.

Preferred experience/skills:

  1. Have experience with and/or training in maternal and child health.
  2. Have experience with and/or training in epidemiological, health services, and/or patient-centered outcomes research.
  3. Have experience with and/or training in data science.
  4. Have experience with and/or training in data governance, data linkage, and/or data sharing.
  5. Have experience with and/or training in data analyses using statistical processing software packages, such as STATA, SAS or R.
  6. Have strong written and oral communication skills.
  7. Have experience participating in and/or facilitating diverse working groups towards the successful completion of complex tasks.
  8. Coursework and/or expertise in maternal health issues, biostatistics, epidemiology, data science, data analytics, analyses, and research methods strongly encouraged.

Eligibility Requirements

 

  • Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
  • Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
  • Academic Level(s): Post-Bachelor's, Postdoctoral, or Post-Master's.