CDC Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch Surveillance Team

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP), Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch (CEMB), 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.

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. 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.  

Research Project: 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. The Surveillance Team in CEMB is seeking applications for an ORISE Fellow. The surveillance team conducts laboratory surveillance of several pathogens that can lead to infection in a healthcare environment. These include Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Clostridioides difficile, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Learning Objectives:  The fellow will train with the Surveillance Team in CEMB as a Microbiologist to assist with ongoing surveillance projects, including the microbiological and molecular characterization of healthcare associated pathogens. The fellow's training opportunities will include antimicrobial susceptibility testing, identification of bacteria using MALDI-TOF, performing PCR, help with whole genome sequencing and analysis, and database management. The fellow will gain experience training with other teams and branches within DHQP and in communicating findings with CDC colleagues and public health partners.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Amy Gargis (uvg0@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 20, 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.NCEZID@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or be currently pursuing.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.