Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships for HIV Prevention in Communities of Color

Mission

The mission of this fellowship program is to recruit, mentor, and train investigators to conduct domestic HIV and AIDS prevention research in communities of color. The fellows will be located in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The program is led by the DHAP Office of Health Equity (DHAP OHE).

CDC’s HIV Prevention Research Efforts

CDC’s HIV mission is to prevent HIV infection and reduce the incidence of HIV-related illness and death, in collaboration with community, state, national and international partners. CDC’s domestic HIV prevention research efforts are concentrated in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), DHAP. The mission of NCHHSTP is to maximize public health and safety nationally and internationally through the elimination, prevention, and control of disease, disability, and death caused by HIV/AIDS, non-HIV retroviruses, viral hepatitis, other STDs, and tuberculosis. DHAP, in cooperation with other CDC components, administers operational programs for the prevention of HIV and AIDS and conducts surveillance, epidemiologic, and behavioral research to monitor HIV and AIDS-related trends and risk behaviors. The resulting data provide a basis for developing interventions, directing prevention resources, and evaluating programs. Many of these research activities are targeted to reducing racial/ethnic disparities in new HIV infections in the United States. (organization chart)

The Epidemiology of HIV in the United States

It is estimated that more than 1.2 million adults and adolescents are living with HIV infection in the United States.1 In 2015, an estimated 39, 513 adults and adolescents were diagnosed with HIV infection; of these, 81% of diagnoses were among males and 19% were among females. From 2005 t0 2014, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses declined 19% including a 40% decline in diagnoses among women.¹

Despite the decline, HIV disproportionately affects certain populations. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) remain the group most heavily affected by HIV accounting for 82% (26, 375) of HIV diagnoses among males and 67% of all diagnoses in 2015. By race/ethnicity, African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos experience the greatest burden of HIV infection accounting for 45% and 24%, respectively, of HIV diagnoses in 2015.¹

The data support the importance of early diagnosis, linkage and retention in care; a majority of new infection in 2009 were attributable to persons who were not in medical care.² Consequently, research to identify effective strategies for breaking down barriers to care and treatment is an important step for addressing disparities in rates of HIV in the United States.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance Report, 2015; vol. 27. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance.html. Published November 2016. Accessed March 13, 2017.
2. Skarbinski J, Rosenberg E, Paz-Bailey G, Hall HI, Rose CE, Viall AH, Fagan JL, Lansky A, Mermin JH. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission at Each Step of the Care Continuum in the United States. JAMA Intern Med 2015 Feb 23.

Fellowship Description

The fellowship seeks doctoral-level researchers (e.g., behavioral scientists, epidemiologists, social scientists, evaluators, educators, economists, anthropologists, or MDs with research training and/or experience). Applicants must have completed their doctorates within the past five (5) years (i.e., no earlier than December 2012 and no later than December 2017). Applicants with documented evidence of research expertise or experience in communities of color, (i.e., African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Asians/Pacific Islanders) in the United States are preferred.

Three (3) successful applicants will be matched within one of the Branch listed below. Specifics on the training positions will be provided during the interview process and the final selection of activities will be determined by the mentor and the fellow.

• Epidemiology Branch
• DHAP Office of Health Equity
• Prevention Research Branch
• Capacity Building Branch

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to design, conduct, and evaluate scientifically sound, culturally appropriate, HIV and AIDS prevention research activities in communities of color in the United States.

Applicants

Applicants must have completed all requirements for and been awarded a doctorate within the past five years, i.e., no earlier than December 2012 and no later than December 2017. Successful applicants will be required to re-locate to Atlanta for the 2-year fellowship appointment. Stipends will vary based on educational credentials and related experience. Following are some general guidelines for stipend ranges.

Educational Credentials	Related Experience	Stipend
M.D. or Ph.D. or equivalent	No	Maximum stipend is equal to GS-11, Step 1 ($61,193)
M.D. or Ph.D. or equivalent	At least 2 years of related post-graduate work	Stipend is equal to GS-12, Step 1 ($75,705). More salary steps at this degree level may be added for additional related post-graduate work experience up to a maximum equal to GS 12 step 4 ($83,277).The monthly stipend of a full time participant may not exceed the equivalent of a GS-12 step 4 on the Atlanta locality pay table ($83, 277) unless on a faculty appointment.
		Note: All salaries quoted here are based on 2017 federal salary tables.

Click here for descriptions of 2002-2017 fellows.

Required Fellowship Activities

Mentors and fellows will collaborate to develop a list of diverse research activities that they will complete together over the two year training period. These activities will be based on the fellow’s area(s) of interest, training, and expertise. The activities listed below represent the minimum requirements that all fellows must complete. Documentation of completion for each activity is required at the end of each year and is the responsibility of both the mentor and the fellow.

1. Conduct or participate in one site visit;
2. Design, conduct, and interpret an analysis on public health data (activities led by DHAP OHE);
3. Write and submit a scientific manuscript for a peer-reviewed journal (activity led by Branch);
4. Present a paper or poster at one scientific meeting (activity led by Branch);
5. Give an oral presentation at a TRIP seminar or Thursday Health Equity Lunch and Learn Session; and
6. Attend monthly scientific meetings on emerging public health issues coordinated by the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention Health Equity Office

Office Support

Office Support will include office space, computer, appropriate software, phone, mail and clerical services and other equipment as required and approved. Funds for travel will be available as appropriate.

Click here for Questions and Answers.

Application and Deadline

Applications will be accepted no earlier than September 1, 2017 and no later than October 31, 2017.

The fellowship is scheduled to begin in January 2018 and end in December 2020, subject to availability of funds.

Click here for the application materials. Completed application should be sent electronically to Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree at zyr1@cdc.gov.

For more information contact:

Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree
Associate Director for Health Equity, CDC/NCHHSTP/DHAP

This web page was prepared by the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under DOE contract number DE-AC05-06OR23100.

These are the updates for the Q&A section:

Who is eligible for this particular fellowship?

Applicants must have a doctoral degree (PhD, ScD, DrPH) in the behavioral sciences, social sciences, epidemiology, public health, or MD/MPH (or expect their degree by December 31, 2017). Applicants with documented research expertise or experience in communities of color (African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, American Indian/Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders) in the United States are preferred.