Fellow Eligibility & Requirements

For Public Health

Key points

  • The Class of 2027 fellowship application opens September 1 and closes November 6, 2026.
  • Applicants should read this page carefully to ensure they meet all eligibility requirements.
  • Details are provided for the education, research, relocation, and citizenship requirements.

Overview

Interested applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to apply for PHIFP.

Eligibility

Education and Experience Requirements

Applicants must hold a qualifying degree from an accredited academic institution:

  • Doctoral level applicants: PhD, MD, PharmD, DrPH, or an equivalent doctoral degree
  • Master's level applicants: MPH, MS, MSc, or an equivalent master's degree.

The qualifying degree must be in one of the following fields:

  • Public health, medicine, healthcare, or health services research
  • Computer science, data science, or medical or public health informatics
  • Statistics or epidemiology
  • Engineering
  • Operations research

Additionally, applicants must have at least 1 year of documented full-time work or volunteer experience in the same field as their qualifying degree.

Citizenship

Applicants must verify that they are not a citizen of a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism per this US Department of State website: State Sponsors of Terrorism.

Applicants must be in one of the following groups to be considered for the program.

  • US citizens
  • US Permanent Residents
  • Current holders of TN, J1, or H1B visas
  • Current F1 visa holders
    • Prior to the program start date, F1 applicants must have an OPT with EAD that is valid for the entire first year of the program AND have STEM eligibility.
  • Individuals outside the US who are eligible for the J1 Visa

Non-US citizen candidates who advance in the selection process will be contacted to discuss their work authorization.

Research

PHIFP applicants should document any research or evaluation experience that they completed during or after their academic training.

Acceptable experience includes publications, thesis writing and defense, poster presentations, and/or a research or evaluation proposal.

Relocation

Selected fellows must relocate to their assigned CDC site. Most assignments are in Atlanta, GA (85%) or Washington, DC (10%). Fellows are not eligible to work remotely. Relocation costs will not be paid.

Content Source
Public Health Infrastructure Center; Division of Workforce Development
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: August 24, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: August 24, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.