To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

Connect with ORISE...on the GO!  Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available within the Public Health Informatics and Analytics Team (PHIAT) in the Office of the Director at the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCWH/ATSDR) in 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: The fellow will have the opportunity to train alongside PHIAT members who are actively involved in various tasks related to data science, data engineering, and data analytics using modern tools and techniques. The fellow will be immersed in a collaborative multi-disciplinary team environment, training in both group projects and independent training opportunities. The fellow will also have the chance to be a part of routine tasks as well as Proof of Concept (POC) projects, allowing them to apply their newly acquired skills in practical scenarios.

Learning Objectives: During this fellowship, the candidate will gain valuable knowledge and skills in training machine learning models and applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques such as Topic Modeling and Named Entity Recognition. Additionally, they will learn how to leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to address real-world environmental health challenges.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Mohammed Lamtahri (vwm5@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: December 1, 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.ATSDR@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

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

Preferred skills:

Programming in Python, R, or other common program languages.
Experience with data wrangling techniques 
Experience with working in a cloud environment (e.g., Microsoft Azure) 
Experience with relational database and general data management 

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (9 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (2 )

I certify that I have not previously been employed by CDC or by a contractor working directly for CDC.  I understand that CDC does not permit individuals with a prior employment relationship with CDC or its contractors to participate as trainees in the ORISE program. (Exceptions may be granted for individuals who, since the previous CDC employment, have obtained a new STEM degree which necessitates training in a new field.)