CDC Overdose Preparedness and Response Team Fellowship

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available within the Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP), within the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Selected candidates must either live within a 50 mile radius of an approved CDC duty location or be able to relocate before the start of the appointment. 

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.

CDC's DOP leads injury prevention efforts by using science and data to understand drug overdoses and their related harms, and to develop evidence-based prevention solutions that work. Our mission is to save lives, prevent suffering, and help reduce healthcare costs.   

Research Project: The selected participant will train in the Overdose Preparedness and Response Team (OPRT) where DOP's research focuses on building and supporting state and local capacity to prevent overdoses when new or increased threats emerge as well as respond to overdose spikes or anomalies. One example of this is the Opioid Rapid Response Program (ORRP), an interagency federal effort designed to mitigate risks to patients who abruptly lose access to prescription opioid or other controlled substance medications. ORRP leverages partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate notifications to state health officials when a clinician who is under investigation for health care fraud or other illegal activity abruptly loses their ability to prescribe opioids or other controlled substances. The partnership and notification process facilitates rapid response at the state and local level to mitigate risks, such as abandonment, withdrawal, pain, overdose or suicide among patients who lose access to prescription medications. ORRP also provides remote technical assistance and support to state and local health officials developing, practicing, or implementing rapid response protocols.  

The training activities will align with partnership and overdose prevention efforts within DOP. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant's training activities will be in developing systems and infrastructure to support overdose preparedness and response capabilities at the state and local levels, capturing lessons learned from jurisdictions implementing response protocols, and assessing the program's progress. 

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved in the following activities: 

• Train to engage with state and local public health professionals to offer scientific technical assistance (under a health scientist mentorship - CDC FTE) for overdose preparedness and response.
• Train to engage with other HHS partners, such as SAMHSA, HRSA, and CMS as well as Medical Boards and Professional Associations, and others to apply a systems approach to overdose prevention.
• Train in the development of scientific and programmatic products and protocols
• Train in the development of programmatic resources, webinars, and reports; peer-reviewed publications; and inter-agency reports and presentations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Stephanie Rubel (fvw4@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 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 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.NCIPC@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

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

Preferred skills:

• Knowledge or experience regarding public health, program implementation, technical assistance, drug overdose prevention or a related area
• Experience or knowledge of harm reduction principles
• Experience or knowledge of public health emergency preparedness and response
• Strong organizational skills
• Evidence of scientific productivity exemplified by scientific presentations and publications
• Ability to collaborate with other scientific and professional staff as well as non-traditional public health partners, such as law enforcement personnel.

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).