Public Health Entomology for All Internship & Fellowship Program

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Applications for 2024 are now closed. Please visit Entomological Society of America’s website for application information.

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, and 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 identify health disparities and ensure health equity.

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.

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​

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