CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) 2023

Deadline: 1st December 2022

CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) 2023

The Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) provides on-the-job training for professionals to apply expertise in information science, computer science, and information technology to address current and future informatics needs. While working in CDC programs to enhance our agency’s informatics workforce, fellows help state and local health departments and international public health agencies solve complex public health informatics challenges.

Check Eligibility

Applicants must meet the educational, informatics, public health, and research experience in addition to other requirements outlined below.

Educational Requirements

Doctoral Level Candidates:

All doctoral candidates must have a doctoral degree (Phd, MD, PharmD, D, DPH) from an accredited academic institution in one of the following:

  • Public Health Informatics
  • Computer Science, Data Science, or Information Sciences
  • Statistics and Epidemiology
  • Public Health, Medicine, Healthcare/Health Services Research
  • Information Technology or Related Discipline
Masters Level Candidates:

All master’s level candidates must have a master’s degree (MPH, MS) from an accredited academic institution as well as at least one year of document experience in one of the following:

  • Public Health Informatics
  • Computer Science, Data Science, or Information Sciences
  • Statistics and Epidemiology
  • Public Health, Medicine, Healthcare/ Health Services Research
  • Information Technology or Related Discipline

Research Requirements

  • 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

  • Relocation is required to various programs at CDC locations. Some assignments may also occur in other federal agencies, as well as state and local health departments.

Citizenship

  • Verify that you are not a citizen of a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism per this U.S. Department of State’s website: State Sponsors of Terrorism
  • Non-U.S. citizens must be legal permanent residents or eligible for J1, TN, H-1B, or OPT-EAD (STEM Extension) visas prior to the program’s start date. CDC’s Human Resource Office/Immigration Office will consult with all non-U.S. citizen candidates to identify the most appropriate work authorization needed to complete the fellowship program requirements.

Review Salary and Benefits Information

PHIFP fellows are full-time equivalent (FTE) employees during their fellowship.

Fellows are paid at the GS 11, Step 3 level for Masters degree holders, and the GS 12, Step 3 level for Doctoral degree holders, and receive the same benefits as other CDC FTE employees (such as medical insurance and vacation). Fellows may be eligible for a salary increase after one year of appointment, based on performance and written recommendation by appropriate management officials. See the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table for more information. Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Educational Loan Repayment

PHIFP fellows may be eligible to receive up to $50K a year in student loan repayment for a 2-year service agreement, based on availability of funding. To be eligible for this student loan repayment recruitment incentive, candidates must:

  1. Have qualifying student loans that are federally made, insured, or guaranteed. Primary care loans (PCLs) and consolidated loans with a spouse are not eligible. Loan repayments are limited to those participants with a substantial amount of educational loans relative to income, which is defined as educational loans that are more than 20% of the participant’s annual CDC base salary.
  2. Be a U.S. citizen.
  3. Have a degree from an accredited institution.
  4. Be accepted into one of five CDC fellowship programs:
    1. Epidemic Intelligence Service,
    2. Laboratory Leadership Service,
    3. Public Heath Informatics Fellowship,
    4. Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship, or the
    5. Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats Fellowship

Once accepted into the fellowship, PHIFP program staff will communicate the process to apply for loan repayment to those who are eligible. Visit the Educational Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals page for more information about loan repayment.

Prepare Application Information
Standardized Letter’s of Recommendation (SLORs)
  • Three recommendation forms are required from persons familiar with your academic achievements, aspirations, personal qualities, and professional attributes.
    • At least two recommendation forms must be from persons who are not currently employed at the CDC.
  • Persons writing recommendation forms should typically be current or former supervisors or professors. Avoid requesting recommendation forms from colleagues or friends.
  • Recommendations must be specific to the PHIFP Application and written in English.
  • Please inform all recommenders to expect a system-generated email from the PHIFP Fellowship Program (PHIFP@cdc.gov) with instructions for submitting the recommendation forms.
  • All recommendation forms are required to be submitted no later than December 1, 2022.
Information for Recommendation Writers

To submit the recommendation form:

  • To complete the recommendation form, click on the link provided in the system-generated email, from PHIFP, to access the online recommendation form.
  • Recommendation forms must be specific to the PHIFP application, written in English, and completed using PHIFP’s online fellowship application portal.
  • You will receive an additional system-generated email from PHIFP@cdc.gov indicating that the upload was successful. If an email is not received, please contact PHIFP@cdc.gov to confirm your submission.
Transcripts

Your application requires copies of unofficial transcripts for all earned degrees or qualifying degrees in progress.

  • All applicants with degrees obtained at a non-U.S. institutions must also provide documentation of an academic credentialing evaluation to ensure degree requirements are equivalent.
    • For this requirement, an applicant must provide an academic credentialing evaluation for any degree from a non-US academic Institution before the December 1st deadline. This requirement applies to all Doctoral, Master’s, and Bachelor’s level degrees.
    • For more information about the academic credentialing evaluation process and to submit your degrees for evaluation please visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
    • All academic credentialing evaluations documents or unofficial transcripts are required to be submitted no later than December 1, 2022.
  • Transcripts must state your degree of study, courses taken, earned grades, and graduation date if the degree has been conferred.
  • Transcripts and other proof of degree completion will not be returned to you.
  • For more information about submitting unofficial transcripts or foreign degree evaluation credentials, please see the PHIFP application checklist [222 KB, 2 Pages, 508].
Official Transcripts

If you are accepted into the program, CDC must receive your official transcript by June 30th of the fellowship year. Send official transcripts by mail to:

Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd., NE
Mailstop V24-5
Atlanta, GA 30329-4018

  • If your degree requires a completed thesis or dissertation, you must have defended your thesis or dissertation on or before May 31st of the year you enter PHIFP, and you will need to submit your transcripts with conferred degree as soon as they become available.

Complete Online Application

You will apply online. The application will ask for your:

  • Contact information
  • Education
  • Post-graduate training and skills
  • Work and volunteer experience
  • Publications, presentations, and grants
  • Honors and awards
  • Personal statement addressing the following questions:
    • What influenced you to consider a career in public health,
    • and describe how this fellowship will help you achieve your goals.

You will provide supporting materials:

  • Three recommendation forms
  • Unofficial college or university transcripts

Prepare the following before you begin

  • Review eligibility.
  • Update your CV and have the following information ready for application prompts: contact information; education; training and skills; work and volunteer experience; publications, presentations, and grants; honors and awards.
  • Write your personal statement (in essay form) by answering these questions:
    • What influenced you to consider a career in public health and describe how this fellowship will help you achieve your goals.
  • Identify three but not more than five people to write recommendation forms on your behalf, following the guidelines in the Supporting Materials tab.
  • Obtain copies of transcripts for all qualifying degrees.

Application Submission

Please complete all sections of the application.

When you are finished, select submit. You will receive an email notification stating that your application has been successfully submitted.

All supporting documents (e.g., recommendation forms; unofficial transcripts or evaluation of transcripts) have to be submitted by the application deadline (December 1, 2022).

For more information, please click here