CDC Preparedness and Response Planning, Exercises, and Response Evaluation Opportunity

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

CDC's PXE fellowship in Atlanta offers hands-on experience in emergency operations planning, exercises, and readiness evaluation. You will learn to apply Homeland Security principles to CDC response plans and gain proficiency with data tools like Excel and Power BI.

The program emphasizes rapid learning, collaboration with federal partners, and adapting to evolving priorities during activations. Strong communication and a public health background are essential.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field with focus on public health or emergency management.
• Degree received within the last five years or anticipated by 1/1/2027.

Responsibilities

• Gain experience applying emergency-management preparedness and response principles to CDC planning products.
• Develop skills in applying HSEEP principles to design, conduct, and evaluate exercises.
• Participate in development, review, and evaluation of emergency operations plans and response frameworks.
• Analyze and present data using tools like Excel, Power BI, and Microsoft Forms.

Skills

Public health preparedness

Emergency management

Data analysis

Communication skills

Excel

Power BI

Microsoft Forms

Education

Master's degree in public health, health sciences, or related field

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Microsoft Forms

Job description

Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Reference Code

CDC-2026-0084

Application Deadline

11/6/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

A Complete Application Consists Of

• An application
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• One educational or professional recommendation. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.

CDC Office and Location

A fellowship opportunity is available in the Plans, Exercise, and Evaluation Branch (PXE), Division of Emergency Operations within the Office of Readiness and Response, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the major operation components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC protects America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same. CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish its mission, CDC conducts important science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.

Research Project

PXE strengthens CDC readiness and response capabilities by developing and coordinating all-hazards response plans, designing and conducting preparedness and response exercises, and evaluating response operations and exercises to identify and advance opportunities for improvement. The Branch also supports development of operational products during Incident Management System (IMS) activations, including contingency plans, incident action plans, and situation reports.

Learning Objectives

• Gain experience applying emergency-management preparedness and response principles, laws, regulations, directives, frameworks, and guidance to CDC response planning products.
• Develop skills in applying Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles to design, conduct, and evaluate preparedness and response exercises.
• Gain skills with agency-wide and internal exercises that strengthen CDC all-hazards emergency response plans.
• Build experience monitoring and evaluating response operations and exercises through interviews, surveys, hotwashes, debriefs, and other data-collection tools.
• Develop qualitative and quantitative analysis skills to synthesize evaluation findings and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Learn how CDC collaborates with federal partners, including FEMA and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to share preparedness practices, response lessons learned, and operational insights.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Bill Howard ([e-mail]). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length

The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation

The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend

Stipend rates may vary based on numerous factors, including opportunity, location, education, and experience. If you are interviewed, you can inquire about the exact stipend rate at that time and if selected, your appointment offer will include the monthly stipend rate.

Citizenship Requirements

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE Information

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

Questions

Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email [e-mail] and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 1/1/2027.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge or experience in public health preparedness and emergency management, including infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, mass casualty incidents, or other public health emergencies.
• Familiarity with emergency management principles and structures, including NIMS, the Incident Command System (ICS), Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), and incident management structures.
• Experience or knowledge developing, reviewing, or evaluating emergency operations plans, continuity plans, response plans, preparedness frameworks, or related planning products.
• Experience managing, analyzing, synthesizing, and presenting data using tools such as Excel, Power BI, Microsoft Forms, or other Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to interpret and apply public health preparedness and emergency management policies, frameworks, and guidance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for varied audiences, including preparation of plans, reports, briefs, presentations, and training materials.
• Ability and willingness to be in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities during emergency activations or response operations.

Point of Contact

Rachel

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 1/1/2027 12:00:00 AM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Communications and Graphics Design
  • Health Communications
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences

Affirmation

I certify that I have not previously been employed by CDC or by a contractor working directly for CDC. I understand that CDC does not permit individuals with a prior employment relationship with CDC or its contractors to participate as trainees in the ORISE program. (Exceptions may be granted for individuals who, since the previous CDC employment, have obtained a new STEM degree which necessitates training in a new field.)