Applying to CDC Evaluation Fellowship

Applicants for the Fellowship go through an extensive selection process, including interviews with potential host programs. The process culminates in a match with a CDC host program based on mutual interest.

The following are the Fellowship eligibility criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a green card status that is valid for at least two more years from the start of the Fellowship (mid-August).
• Have significant applied program evaluation experience and be able to document three projects that demonstrate the depth and breadth of the evaluation experience
• Have a doctoral or master’s level degree from an accredited academic institution in a field relevant to CDC’s work

If selected as Fellows, applicants should be prepared to

• Meet CDC/ATSDR requirements for general employment suitability (e.g., favorable background security check for U.S. Government employment)
• Commit full time to the Fellowship assignment for two years. The second year is contingent on satisfactory performance and availability of funds.
• Relocate to the location of the CDC host program (most are in Atlanta, GA)

1. Please email this narrative application form [DOC – 68 KB] along with your CV/resume and green card copy (if applicable) to evaluationfellows@cdc.gov with the subject line “Application: Last Name, First Name.”
   1. Application narrative form [DOC – 68 KB] must have this naming convention “Last Name_First Name_Narrative” for the filename.  The form asks for responses to these questions:
      • List any special skills, research topics/experience, or other areas of expertise that you have. (<200 words)
      • Describe any areas of interest that you would like to develop. (<200 words)
      • Briefly provide some information on your formal training (classroom or otherwise) where all or part of the focus was on program evaluation approaches, methods, techniques, etc. (≤200 words). Be specific, although titles for all courses are not necessary. A list is acceptable.
      • Briefly describe up to three evaluation projects you have worked on including your role in the project, evaluation approach and methods used, and outcomes. What was the project about and what was your role in it? (<200 words for each project)
      • Please describe your lived experience and/or experience working in a setting (e.g., work environment or situation), collaboration, or context where there is diverse representation in perspectives, background, and/or culture. Please describe how the environment, situation, or context is diverse and your approach to bringing different people, perspectives, and background together. Please describe how you may have considered for diversity, equity, belonging, inclusion, and accessibility (DEBIA). The diverse representation is more than demographics (e.g., age, sex, gender, race, culture) as it can include different disciplines, personalities, types of organizations, etc. This experience does not have to be specific to a project or to evaluation. (≤300 words)
      • Please provide a short essay (≤450 words) on your qualifications for the CDC Evaluation Fellowship Program and what you would like to get out of the program.
   2. Resume/CV must have this naming convention “LastName_FirstName_CV_Resume” for the filename. Your CV/resume must include the following:
      • Academic history
      • Employment history and relevant professional experience
      • Publication and presentation list, if applicable
      • A personal email address. Please do not use a school email on your resume
      • Full physical address. This cannot be a P.O Box or just the city/state.
   3. Green Card (if applicable) must have this naming convention for the filename LastName_FirstName_Greencard
      • If you are a U.S. permanent resident with green card status, provide a copy of your green card with a current appointment date.
      • The green card must be valid for at least two more years from the start of the Fellowship (mid-Aug).
2. Submit transcripts for doctoral and/or master’s degree(s) to evaluationfellows@cdc.gov. The official transcripts must be issued to either the “CDC Evaluation Fellowship Program” or “CDC Human Resources Office”
   1. The degree that qualifies for the fellowship is the highest degree that is most related to public health and program evaluation. Successful applicants must meet the educational requirements of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) requirements for the health science (0601) or behavioral science (0101) occupational series under which Evaluation Fellows are hired.
      • Examples of Fellows’ degrees include MPH, MSPH, Master of Science, PhD, and DrPH.
      • Examples of Fellows’ concentrations include public health, epidemiology, sociology, anthropology, biostatistics, and community psychology.
   2. Transcripts submitted must be official transcripts stating degree of study, courses taken, grades earned, and confer (i.e., graduation) date.
      • Unofficial transcripts or official transcript(s) issued to the student may be acceptable with the initial application if the transcript states degree of study, courses taken, grades earned, and confer date. If the applicant moves on to be a finalist, an official transcript must be sent from the academic institution(s) issued directly to “CDC Evaluation Fellowship and CDC Human Resources Office” as soon as possible.
      • If your academic institution does not have electronic official transcripts available, then please discuss with the fellowship program team at evaluationfellows@cdc.gov.
   3. Applicants who are in progress and will have their degree(s) conferred no later than June 2023 are eligible to apply and must provide a transcript and a letter from the academic institution verifying on track to complete.
      • The letter must be on a letterhead from the academic institution (e.g., advisor or department head). The letter must verify that the applicant is on track to complete degree requirements and provide your estimated graduation/confer date.
      • Transcript must provide information for the degree you are working towards, completed courses, grades received, and remaining courses. If selected as a Fellow, a final official transcript with the degree conferral date must be submitted no later than early June. Please refer to the instructions above for submitting an official transcript.
   4. If the degree conferred is from a non-US academic institution, submit a certifying letter from a credentialing company that certifies that the degree is equivalent to one from a US-accredited academic institution.
      • A credentialing company must evaluate foreign transcripts for U.S. equivalency and all transcripts must be translated into English.
      • The applicant is responsible for any cost associated with this evaluation. For a list of credentialing companies, you may visit the National Association of Credentialing Evaluation Services (NACES) website; the NACES list is not all-inclusive. CDC does not endorse any company. The applicant can choose any credentialing evaluation company they like.
3. Have 2 educational or professional references submit letters of recommendations to evaluationfellows@cdc.gov using the subject line: Reference: Applicant Last Name, First Name. The letter must have this naming convention “ApplicantLastName_FirstName_ReferenceName” for the filename. If applicable to you, only one letter can be from someone who is currently employed at CDC.
   1. The letters must be
      • signed and dated within one year of submission
      • addressed to “To Whom it May Concern” or “Human Resources Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”
      • specific to the CDC Evaluation Fellowship Program
      • on letterhead from the organization and, if possible, have signature from the reference. If the letter is not on a letterhead from the organization, then a signature from the reference is required.
   2. If applicable to you, only one letter can be from someone who is currently employed at CDC.

All applications materials are due February 21, 2023 11:59 pm EST. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.