Service Fellowship in the Division of Research and Methodology

Position and organization

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is seeking a Service Fellow to work in its Division of Research and Methodology (DRM). NCHS is the nation’s principal health statistics agency. As one of the 10 centers and institutes that constitute CDC, NCHS’ mission is to compile accurate, relevant, and timely statistical information to guide actions and policies that improve the health of the nation. DRM’s mission is to plan, coordinate, and stimulate the Center’s applied and basic research program in the fields of mathematical statistics; survey design and methodology; cognition and survey measurement; and automated statistical, graphical, and geographical technologies. DRM also conducts research in each of these fields. DRM serves as the Center’s consultant in the fields of survey design and methodology, data collection, data analysis, and cognition, and it formulates and implements statistical standards in these areas. For more information about NCHS, visit https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about.htm.

Fellowship overview

The Fellow will serve as a principal investigator in the Collaborating Center for Question Design and Evaluation Research. A major duty is to conduct primarily qualitative research to understand how potential survey respondents make sense of and process survey questions. This research is used to improve questions on federal surveys and to document the type of data collected by survey instruments; such documentation is useful to data users for analyzing survey data. The Fellow will design, conduct, and lead studies to isolate and define patterns of question interpretation, types of response error, and potential for bias in cross-national or cross-cultural populations. The Fellow will also collaborate with other CDC staff to design questionnaires and evaluate their performance. The incumbent is expected to conduct additional methodological research related to the validity of survey data and to present this work at conferences and in published papers.

Qualifications

This Service Fellowship is open to all citizens of the United States or legal permanent residents with a work authorization. Applicants are responsible for obtaining the necessary authorization. Applicants must have successfully completed a master’s degree (a Ph.D. degree is preferred) in behavioral or social science or in a related discipline obtained from an accredited college or university that included 20 semester hours of sociology. The applicant must have training and experience in conducting qualitative research and knowledge of survey methodology, specifically, questionnaire design and question evaluation. Strong speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills are also necessary.

Terms of appointment

The successful candidate will be offered an initial 12-month full-time appointment, with potential for an extension. A starting date will be determined by mutual agreement. An initial salary of $51,630–$115,742 will be offered based on education and experience. Salary increases will be commensurate with performance. Federal benefits such as annual and sick leave, Thrift Savings 401(k)-equivalent, health and life insurance, and a flexible work schedule apply. Free onsite parking is available, or a public-transportation subsidy can be obtained for using the area subway station, which is within walking distance.

Application process

Applications will be accepted through May 30, 2016. Interested applicants should submit their curriculum vitae to Dr. Kristen Miller at KSMiller@cdc.gov with the subject line: “Fellowship application.” Due to the number of applications, it may not be possible to respond to each applicant.

**CDC/NCHS is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation.**