CDC Global Immunization Safety Team (GIST) Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location:  A research opportunity is currently available with the Global Immunization Safety Team (GIST), Immunization Systems Branch (ISB) of the Global Immunization Division (GID) within the Center for Global Health (CGH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 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.

Research Project: We are seeking a qualified fellow to join the Global Immunization Safety Team (GIST), Immunization Systems Branch of the Global Immunization Division at CDC.  The Immunization Systems Branch (ISB) works to strengthen immunization systems by partnering with countries to provide evidence-based technical knowledge to strengthen and expand the routine delivery of immunizations. The Global Immunization Safety Team focuses on generating evidence to support the prevention, detection and response to adverse events following immunization (AEFI). The fellow will receive training in global immunization safety research study methodology, as well as technical and programmatic areas as follows:

1) Research Studies

The fellow will receive training from senior GIST staff on vaccine safety operational studies to identify ways to strengthen ongoing vaccine safety surveillance systems in a diverse set of low- and middle-income countries and higher income countries, implementing strategies that address barriers to healthcare workers reporting AEFIs, assessment of information systems, supporting active hospital-based sentinel site surveillance, developing study protocols, evaluation protocols, supporting data collection tools, analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data and, disseminating findings for informing development of interventions to improve reporting of AEFI.

Other topic areas where studies may be implemented include best practices for routine vaccinations, evaluation of the safety of novel or underutilized vaccines or investigation of clusters of AEFI, and data quality research.

Learning Objectives: The Fellow will have the opportunity to gain experience in:

• Development of research protocols
• Supporting implementation of operational research studies
• Data management of survey datasets
• Data analysis of survey quantitative and qualitative datasets using various statistical software
• Developing presentations and presenting results to division staff, partners, scientific community
• Report writing, preparation, and publication
• Conducting literature searches using PubMed, OVID, and other search engines

2) Technical and Programmatic Learning Activities

The Fellow will also receive training in a variety of technical and programmatic areas that span the scope of the Immunization Systems Branch (ISB) mission.  Technical training opportunities in immunization systems may include:

• Developing expertise on the subject of vaccine safety and the barriers to strengthening AEFI surveillance systems globally
• Gaining field experience in ISB’s research activities including new vaccine introductions, immunization delivery science, and demand for immunizations
• Participating in national immunization program reviews
• Participating in evaluations of new vaccine introductions
• Participating in global immunization technical advisory meetings

Programmatic training opportunities in immunization systems may include:

• Supporting ISB’s capacity-building activities which focus on health worker knowledge and skills globally
• Supporting work around the synergies of both vaccine safety and routine immunization activities across the Global Immunization Division and other parts of CDC as needed

Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity is Bernadette Dorsey (yww0@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 2, 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 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.CGH@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

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

Preferred Skills:

• Strong skills in the design and field implementation of surveys, including: protocol development, questionnaire design, ethical review, database management, training of field staff, overseeing field data collection, data entry and cleaning, and scientific and statistical data analysis
• Expertise in the use of computer software and programming, especially packages for statistical analysis (e.g., SPSS, SAS, STATA, and/or R) and knowledge of mobile/electronic data collection and computing platforms, and data file construction
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with Ministries of Health and/or UN agencies (e.g., WHO, UNICEF)
• Strong interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to work with efficiency, diplomacy, flexibility, and provide mentorship and be part of a team
• Ability to think critically and analyze findings
• Experience with vaccine safety and familiarity with AEFI reporting and/or other disease surveillance systems desirable
• Strong communication skills (oral and written)
• Highly organized with demonstrated skills in working with competing priorities, time and project management, and completing tasks under deadlines
• Ability to handle confidential information in a discreet and professional manner
• Ability to travel up to 25% internationally