Public Health Entomology for All

What to know

  • CDC partners with the Entomological Society of America to offer the Public Health Entomology for All internship and fellowship program.
  • This exciting paid opportunity is for students and recent graduates of minority serving institutions.
  • Interns participate in a 10-week program, while fellows participate in a 1-year program.
Illustration of 16 people with bubbles containing a mosquito, a tick, and a flea. Text reads "PHEFA, Public Health Entomology for All Internship/Fellowship Program."

Overview

About the program

The Public Health Entomology for All (PHEFA) internship and fellowship program is a partnership between CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) and the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The program was created to help address the lack of diversity in the field of entomology. According to the National Science Foundation, only 2.3% of entomology and parasitology graduate students are Black, and 4.9% are Hispanic/Latinx.

A diverse workforce strengthens the field’s ability to develop successful, community-accepted prevention and intervention efforts. It is critical for the public health workforce to reflect the communities they serve. PHEFA is implementing strategies that expand the racial, cultural, demographic, and experiential diversity of the public health entomology workforce. By building a more diverse workforce, the field will be better prepared to address health disparities and ensure health equity.

Key program activities

  • Work with minority-serving institutions to recruit participants
  • Provide CDC and ESA mentors to each participant
  • Provide training in entomology laboratory and field skills in five core areas
    • Colony maintenance
    • Vector collection methods
    • Vector-borne disease research
    • Mosquito and tick taxonomy
    • Vector biology and control
  • Create a sense of community and belonging among DVBD staff and trainees
  • Promote networking among current and future entomologists

Mission statement

Through 10-week internships and 1-year fellowships, PHEFA encourages students and recent graduates to pursue public health entomology as a career and work toward a future in which all communities benefit from creative, inclusive, and equitable processes and public health solutions.

Join the program‎

Applications for the 2024 PHEFA class are closed. Applications for 2025 will open in December 2024. Please visit Entomological Society of America's website for updates on timelines for the coming year and more application information.
A DVBD Public Health Entomology for All intern looks into a microscope in a laboratory.
A PHEFA intern conducts research in a DVBD laboratory.

Additional information

Visit ESA's PHEFA website for information about the program and how to apply.

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)