The Forum Coordinator will provide executive leadership for the Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (Forum). The Forum was established in 1994 to encourage collaboration among federal agencies to improve the quality and usefulness of federal data on children. Forum members represent 22 federal agencies, including statistical and programmatic agencies. The Forum Coordinator will be stationed at the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland.

The work of the Forum Coordinator is essential to the support of Forum members and Forum staff. The Forum Coordinator is responsible for (1) developing and implementing Forum operations; (2) leading Forum activities, including a variety of Forum committees and subgroups; (3) coordinating activities of contributing federal agencies; (4) orchestrating successful meetings of the Forum; (5) initiating and coordinating potential research projects; and (6) overseeing the contractor's production team to ensure timeliness and accuracy in the production of the Forum's annual report.

The Forum Coordinator will chair the Planning Committee. In this capacity, the Forum Coordinator will plan, prioritize, and oversee Forum activities along with managing the Forum's finances and serving as project officer on interagency agreements and contracts. The Forum Coordinator will be responsible for (1) obtaining and tracking funds from member agencies; (2) preparing and overseeing task orders and other contracts; and (3) preparing annual financial statements.

The Forum Coordinator will serve as the chair of the Reporting Committee. This entails developing agendas and leading discussions for the Reporting Committee and providing scientific leadership in planning and writing Forum reports. A primary function of the Forum Coordinator will be to oversee the preparation of the Forum's annual report: America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being. Published annually since 1997, the America's Children report provides a broad picture of child well-being for the general public and policy makers. The report presents data on the demographic background of children and 38 key indicators of children's lives, including their economic circumstances, family and social environment, physical environment and safety, health care, behavior, education and health. The Forum alternates publishing the detailed report with a summary version, America's Children in Brief, which highlights selected indicators. The Forum updates all indicators and background data annually on its website.

The Forum Coordinator will (1) facilitate the review and discussion of proposed improvements, deletions, and additions to the report; (2) organize the update and review of data from contributing agencies; and (3) coordinate intensive reviews of draft reports including organizing, compiling and following up on comments submitted by agency representatives. The Forum Coordinator will also oversee maintenance of the content of the Forum website.

The Forum Coordinator will serve on the Research and Innovation Committee aimed at fulfilling the Forum's goals of improving data and filling critical gaps in the data available to describe the lives of children and youth. Potential projects provide opportunities for subject area experts to share expertise and ideas, data, and plans for addressing data gaps. Ideally, projects will spawn interagency plans to develop or evaluate new indicators of child well-being. Through the Research and Innovation Committee, the Forum Coordinator will play an important role in shaping the national data available on children, and in turn play an important role in shaping public policy for children.

Qualifications

Candidates must be exceptionally adept at analysis and synthesis of complex issues. Candidates must also have exceptional organizational and communication skills, including outstanding writing skills and the ability to communicate orally in both formal and informal settings. Candidates must have experience interpreting data, preferably on children's well-being, and must be able to critically evaluate the quality and presentation of data.

Candidates must have a doctorate in demography, sociology, public health or epidemiology, public policy, human development, or another scientific or social science field. A special interest or background in children's issues is desirable, as is familiarity with using indicators as measures of health and well-being.

It is highly desirable that candidates have experience that demonstrates the following abilities to: develop and monitor work plans; organize meetings and groups of people; guide decisionmaking; facilitate discussions and meetings; and interact with senior executives, researchers, and agency directors.

Prior experience in preparing data for presentation, financial management, interagency project management, and report writing (including extensive internal and external review) is preferred.

Desired start date: Open immediately.
Closing date: June 1, 2008
Salary: $82,900-107,800 (final salary will be commensurate with experience)
Type of appointment: 2-year fellowship (renewable)

Submit CV and other pertinent information to Susan Lukacs at:
Mail:

Susan Lukacs, D.O., M.S.P.H.
National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
3311 Toledo Road, MS P08
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Additional information: Located in DC metro area, convenient to Metro subway, and near University of Maryland. Federal government benefits. Free parking.

EEO Policy Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

NCHS/Academy Health Policy Fellowship
Deadline: January 7, 2008

Announcement of selected fellows: April 1, 2008

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and Academy Health seek applicants for the Health Policy Fellowship Program. The Fellowship brings visiting scholars in health-services-research related disciplines to NCHS to collaborate on studies of interest to policymakers and the health services research community using NCHS data systems. Applicants--from doctoral students to senior investigators--must demonstrate training or experience in health services research and methodology, reflecting disciplines such as public health, public administration, health care administration, statistics, sociology, economics, behavioral sciences, or the health professions. The duration of the fellowship is 13 to 24 months. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or able to acquire a valid work authorization. The fellowship will commence between September 2008 and January 2009.

Postdoctoral Research Program
NCHS offer extraordinary opportunities for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program in specialized research in the areas of mathematical statistics, computer science, survey methodology, as well as health statistics, epidemiology, and the social and behavior sciences applicable to large scale sample surveys. Applicants must have held a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a relevant field for less than 3 years or completed the Ph.D. before the commencement of work as a postdoctoral researcher. The duration of the fellowship is 2 years, but can be extended with special considerations.  For fullest consideration, applicants must submit for competitive review a five-page research proposal that includes a summary of research interest by February 28, 2007. However, applications will be accepted throughout the year until positions are filled. Applicants may be U.S. citizens as well as noncitizens. Permanent residency status does not qualify as citizenship. The fellowship will commence at a mutually agreeable date between June 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007. Potential applicants should visit the Postdoctoral Research Program page. Applicants wishing to discuss a specific research proposal may contact Venita B. Smith at vsmith@cdc.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO):
NCHS policy is to ensure equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all persons, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

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This page last reviewed May 05, 2008