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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.

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the Child Development and Disability Branch (CDDB) of the Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD), National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) seeks to promote the health of babies, children, and adults with disabilities. The work of NCBDDD includes identifying the causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities, helping children to develop and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities. NCBDDD has three Divisions that carry out this mission: Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders (DCDD), Human Development and Disability (DHDD), and Blood Disorders (DBD).

Research Project: Specifically, this opportunity is currently available within DHDD's Child Development and Disability Branch (CDDB) on the Epidemiology Team. DHDD leads inclusive programs to optimize the health and development of children and adults with or at risk for disabilities. The Epidemiology Team implements studies to advance our knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Fragile X syndrome (FXS), and other developmental disabilities. Through the implementation of these studies, the team obtains information on risk factors, expression, co-occurring conditions (including, ADHD, anxiety and depression), service use, and outcomes from childhood through early adulthood. This information is used to inform public health strategies that can optimize the health and functioning of individuals with developmental disabilities as they mature.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of mentors from the Epidemiology Team, the participant will train on the following projects and activities:

• Monitoring ongoing research program development, implementation and data collection
• Database cleaning, management and analysis
• Data visualization
• Literature searches and synthesis of findings
• Preparation of oral or poster presentations for scientific conferences
• Manuscript preparation. Potential topics include longitudinal predictors of adaptive behavior and behavioral problems among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, predictors of successful healthcare transition among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.  

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Patrick Powell (pmf8@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 12, 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 up to a total of five years 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, 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.NCBDDD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

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

Preferred skills:

• Background in epidemiology, psychology, or public health
  • Some graduate or post-graduate education in the fields of autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities preferred
• Data management and analysis
  • Advanced statistical programming skills in R or SAS preferred
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong scientific writing skills
• Proficiency in synthesizing findings from scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals
• Experience preparing oral and written presentations of epidemiological studies at scientific conferences
• Experience with preparation of scientific manuscripts, posters, presentations, and fact sheets, and other information

• Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (48 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )

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.)