CDC Fellowship on Program Evaluation in the Division of Laboratory Systems

CDC Office and Location:  A program evaluation opportunity is available with the Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) in the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) 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. 

Within CDC, and its Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, the Division of Laboratory Systems' mission is to improve public health, patient outcomes, and health equity by advancing laboratory systems. Our programs include laboratory quality and safety systems, informatics and data science, training and workforce development, and public health preparedness and response. For more information on DLS:  About DLS | CDC.

The DLS Evaluation Office (EO) provides monitoring and evaluation (M&E) leadership and support across the division including M&E of cooperative agreements under OE20-2001: Enhancing Public Health Laboratory Capabilities and Increasing Capacity and OE22-2202: Enhancing U.S. Clinical Laboratory Workforce Capacity, coordinating M&E activities across different branches and offices, developing data collection instruments, conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis, developing evaluation plans and reports, and several other activities that guide program monitoring and evaluation. Joining the DLS/EO team offers the unique chance to provide evaluation expertise to a division that exists to ensure that the nation’s 260,000 certified laboratories and their staff can reliably conduct patient sample testing and report those results, support the nation’s public health surveillance needs, and respond to public health emergencies.

Research Project: The participant will receive training on how to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to the field program monitoring and evaluation (M&E). During the fellowship, the participant will primarily learn the CDC’s Program Evaluation Framework and other evaluation frameworks and standards. The fellow will train closely with the Evaluation Office’s program evaluators and subject matter experts to apply the knowledge in engaging key partners in designing evaluation plans, developing logic models to describe program, developing performance measures and data collection instruments using mixed-method approach, collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data, and producing evaluation dissemination products for internal and external audiences. The fellow will also gain practical experiences by assisting the FTEs in coordinating the Division’s annual program reviews, strategic planning, developing or revising performance metrics; and providing evaluation support to key internal and external partners.

Learning Objectives: This fellowship will offer the opportunity to learn about and obtain hands-on experience in the following activities:

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kunthea Nhim (xmh8@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: December 1, 2022. 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 and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

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.CSELS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

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

Preferred skills: