Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Report on CDC-Hosted Scientific Meeting Spending

In compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act this report includes 2 CDC-hosted scientific meetings held in FY 2022 where the net expenses associated with the scientific meeting exceeded $30,000. The descriptions include:

• The date of the scientific meeting
• The location of the scientific meeting
• A brief explanation of how the scientific meeting advanced the mission of the agency
• A description of exceptional circumstances for scientific meeting where expenses exceeded $150,000
• The total scientific meeting expenses incurred by the agency for the scientific meeting and
• The total number of individuals whose travel expenses or other scientific meeting expenses were paid by the agency

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)

2022 69th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference (EIS)

Dates: May 1-5, 2022

Venue, City, State, or Country: Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, Atlanta, GA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The primary mission for the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS) is to provide scientific service, expertise, skills, and tools in support of CDC’s national efforts to promote health; prevent disease, injury, and disability; and prepare for emerging health threats. The Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development (DSEPD) has a strategic priority to prepare the public health workforce for 21st Century public health challenges. The Epidemiology Workforce Branch (EWB) is that entity responsible for implementing a major part of that strategic goal by annually training a class of approximately 80 Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers who will provide service to CDC and state and local health agencies as part of their two-year training program.

The EIS Officer training program consists of several Core Activities of Learning (CALS) in which officers must complete within 2 years to successfully graduate from the program. The EIS Conference was a public forum to showcase the research that the officers had done and gave them an opportunity to complete one of the CALS, presenting their work before a large audience of scientific and public health communities.

Description of Exceptional Circumstances: The EIS Conference ties directly to the mission of CDC as an agency and is regarded as a priority event by the CDC Office of the Director. It highlights the elite scientific and epidemiological activities at CDC, and it also serves as a vital continuing education opportunity for the nation’s public health professionals, health scientists, and epidemiologists. This annual event is an important forum for improving health security and fostering collaboration among public health care workers. Additionally, without the conference many of the attendees would not meet their continuing education requirements.

Total Estimated Cost: $888,493

Total Attendees: 3,014

Total Feds on Travel: 61

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0

Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR)

2022 Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFO) Training Meeting

Dates: August 22-26, 2022

Venue, City, State, or Country:  CDC-Roybal Global Communications Center – Atlanta, Georgia

How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) Field Assignee Services Branch (FASB) enhances public health preparedness of state, local, and territorial health departments through assignment of field-based staff, including Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFOs) and Preparedness Field Assignees (PFAs). FASB also provides the management, technical, and programmatic support to maximize the impact of field staff. Through direct interaction with health departments, FASB accomplishes Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR) mission and informs Center for Preparedness and Response’s (CPR) science agenda and strategies.

The purpose of the four and one-half day 2022 Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFOs) Training Meeting is to advance CEFO’s knowledge, abilities, and practices within their assignments to enhance the mission of the Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR). CEFOs unique positions and perspectives based on frontline work and experiences provides unique opportunities for CDC leadership to further inform agency efforts. As a result, CEFOs will further strengthen CDC surveillance and epidemiology support of public health emergency capacity in state and local health departments. Multi-directional communication during this meeting between CEFOs and their CDC leadership will include descriptions of ground-truth efforts to enhance public health emergency preparedness through application of scientific information about public health emergency preparedness and responses in real-world settings. In addition, CEFOs will attend advanced training sessions in leadership, surveillance, and epidemiological tools. While not the primary reason for the meeting, attendees will also be able to complete CC staff requirements that are challenging or impossible to meet without travel to CDC headquarters in Atlanta. These requirements include pre-deployment medical clearance examinations, respiratory protection program training and fit-testing, Common Access Card (CAC) and ID badge binding and renewals and consultations with IT staff. Senior CEFOs will also provide direct mentorship to more junior personnel. All CEFOs will directly meet with their CEFO program leadership.

Total Estimated Cost: $86,204

Total Attendees: 40

Total Feds on Travel: 40

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0