CDC BCSB Informatics Fellowship - HIV Behavioral Surveillance

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Division of HIV Prevention (DHP), Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch, located 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.

Research Project: This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to research high-priority, high-impact issues in domestic HIV prevention. The fellow will learn from specialized public health informatics systems that support two complex national HIV behavioral and clinical surveillance programs: Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) and National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS). Until recently, MMP and NHBS annual data collections (surveys, medical records abstractions, and testing for HIV and related infections) were supported through a physical server-based data portal, disparate desktops applications and manual processes. The Web-based Integrated Surveillance Management System (WISMS) replaces the older approach with a modernized system hosted on the CDC Azure cloud and a secure web-based data portal hosted by a commercial data center. Although the phased implementation of WISMS is ongoing, the new system is already demonstrating improvements to data quality and timeliness. Similarly, for MMP, the CDC is developing a new web-based and modernized metadata database to track survey measurements, variables and other information over time as well as run customized reports including paper versions of the questionnaires and programming logic for electronic data capture instruments. 

The fellow will have the opportunity to be mentored by a public health informatics health scientist with strong experience and expertise and by epidemiologists highly specialized in active public health surveillance. In addition, the fellow will have the opportunity to apply knowledge to activities for an innovative and dynamic public health data system.

Learning Objectives: 

• Collaborate with CDC teams and external contractors related to WISMS, the MMP Metadata Database, and other public health informatics projects.
• Explore automation of surveillance reports using MMP and NHBS data.
• Engage in and learn about CDC processes involving performance life cycle, local data governance, authority to operate, etc.
• Continuously update knowledge and skills in public health informatics, data analytics, and visualization by attending workshops, training, and staying current with the latest industry trends and best practices.
• Communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including public health professionals, data analysts, and IT specialists, to ensure the successful implementation of informatics projects, analytics, and visualization efforts.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, and other materials to document project progress, findings, recommendations, and visualizations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Ying Su (yds0@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: December 2, 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 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 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.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Public Health, Informatics, Computer Science). Most recent degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills:

• Strong knowledge and experience with informatics tools, technologies, and methodologies used in public health surveillance, data management, analytics, and visualization.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• If interested in conducting data analysis, skills in using SAS or R.

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.