CDC Diagnostic Excellence Fellowship

Organization
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reference Code
CDC-CSELS-2023-0120
How to Apply

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A complete application consists of:
  • An application
  • 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.

Application Deadline
7/17/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location A research opportunity is currently available in the Quality and Safety Systems Branch (QSSB) of the Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) within 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. 

The Quality and Safety Systems Branch (QSSB) in the Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS), works to advance public health and improve patient outcomes by advancing the quality and safety of clinical and public health testing and practice. QSSB works with state and local partners, other federal agencies, private partnerships, professional organizations, and the public in carrying out a diverse portfolio of projects.  The Diagnostic Excellence Initiative (DEI) resides within QSSB with participation across DLS. The DEI is tasked to advance diagnostic excellence and measurably reduce diagnostic errors by engaging in translational, data driven, studies and working with diverse partners to increase awareness, availability, and access to clinical laboratory expertise and services. The efforts of DEI are predicated on a 2015 National Academies report, Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, that established diagnostic errors as a significant public health issue that significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality in the US. 

Research Project: The ORISE participant will join the QSSB Diagnostic Excellence Initiative having the opportunity to collaborate with subject matter experts to learn about and contribute to a number of efforts underway. The DEI engages in a broad spectrum of activities that include efforts to improve the quality and usefulness of clinical laboratory testing within the context of healthcare delivery. The DEI also studies how clinical laboratory data can be used to identify at-risk patients and populations having undiagnosed health conditions. Projects available to the ORISE participant include but are not limited to:

  • Innovative means for clinical laboratory outreach to clinicians and patients to reduce diagnostic errors associated with missed and delayed diagnoses for hypercholesterolemia in medically underserved populations,
  • Address health inequities among persons with limited English and digital proficiency to improve access and utilization of clinical laboratory services,
  • Develop educational activities to raise awareness about the role of the laboratory in supporting patient, clinician, and organizational informed healthcare decision making, and
  • Apply machine learning approaches to create predictive models using laboratory data for identifying persons and populations at increased risk for adverse health outcomes.

Learning ObjectivesThe ORISE participant will select with their mentor a suitable project of mutual interest.  The participant will collaborate with their mentor and other subject matter experts in developing and carrying out the project. Project development will consider competency building in areas of interest to the participant. These may include critical literature review, data collection and analysis, partnering strategies, use of communication, evaluation and implementation science, developing machine learning models to identify patients/populations at increased risk for health conditions, and health equity studies. The participant will have opportunities to present their project and findings to QSSB and at other venues. In addition, the participant will also have opportunities to learn about the broader work of DLS and CDC through seminars, workshops, and introductions to scientists inside and outside of the division.

Mentor(s)The mentor for this opportunity is Ira Lubin (ibl0@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2023. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment LengthThe 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 ParticipationThe appointment is full-time.

Participant StipendThe participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship RequirementsThis opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE InformationThis 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.

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 the past five years.

Preferred skills:

  • Preference is for candidates that have experience in healthcare studies, clinical laboratory science, pathology or other medical discipline, health informatics, analyzing data abstracted from large datasets, public health, epidemiology, or closely related areas. 
  • Preference for candidates who have experience with a programming language such as R or Python.
  • Candidates should be well organized and think analytically with attention to details.
  • Candidates should have excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Candidates should have experience working with Microsoft Office.
Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
  • Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
  • Academic Level(s): Postdoctoral or Post-Master's.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (8 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (9 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (6 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (1 )
Affirmation

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.)

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