Professional Development As a benefit of the fellowship, CSTE has allotted $970 per year to defray professional development expenses. These funds are to be used for the purpose of travel to meetings or conferences, attending short-term training programs, purchasing of work related books, and attendance of classes intended to aid in work related projects. An example of an inappropriate use of funds is to pay for poster expenses and other general administrative expenses. The host state agency should be responsible for covering these expenses. The funds must be used for activities that fall within the fellow’s Plan of Action. CSTE also strongly encourages host health agencies to provide funds for fellow travel and training. CSTE communicates with all primary and secondary mentors, encouraging the health department to share the responsibility of supporting fellows to attend conferences, meetings, and reimbursement for in-state travel. Most years, funding is available for fellows to attend their program area conferences (MCH-EPI conference, ICEID conference, Environmental Health, Chronic Disease, etc). This funding, when available, is provided in addition to the professional development allowance. CSTE encourages Fellows to speak with their mentors about the Conferences and other professional development opportunities that will provide the best training and professional development for the cost involved. Below are conferences that fellows have attended in the past and have recommended to other fellows as a good use of professional development funds. These are all CSTE approved uses of the professional development allowance. Conferences
Other Appropriate Uses of Professional Development Funds
The Class X online application will be open: November 1st, 2011-February 1st, 2012.
Orientation: Within the first three months of the Fellowship, all incoming Fellows will participate in a five-day orientation course in September in Atlanta, Georgia. The orientation course will cover various topics related to developing the program competencies and will be taught by CSTE and CDC epidemiologists and faculty at Schools of Public Health. Fellowship Activities: By the end of the third month of the Fellowship, Fellows will submit a proposed “Plan of Action” that will outline how the Fellow will complete the major required core activities. The Fellow and his or her mentors will create the plan jointly. Every six months, the Fellow and mentors will complete a progress report regarding the Fellow’s progress toward meeting the required core activities. In addition, each Fellow must submit a quarterly report highlighting his or her work experience thus far. Final Report and Certificate: During the last month of the Fellowship, Fellows and their mentors will submit a final report that indicates how each competency was achieved, the Fellow’s perspective on the Fellowship, and an evaluation of the Fellow completed by the mentors. A certificate from CDC, CSTE, and ASPH will then be awarded to Fellows provided that all competencies are met. Annual Conference All CDC/CSTE Fellows are required to attend the CSTE Annual conference that is held in June of each year. CSTE will pay for the cost of travel for the Fellows in addition to the $970 that is provided for professional development. Fellows are expected to submit abstracts for the conference.
Stipend: Fellows with an MPH degree will be paid a bimonthly stipend of up to $39,000 annually. Doctoral level candidates will be paid up to $56,000. Stipends will be set according to location, cost of living, and pay structure at the host agency. Insurance: Up to $3,200 per year will be available to supplement the individual health insurance coverage selected by the Fellow. Moving/Relocation Expenses: Up to $1,000 will be provided for moving related expenses. Professional Development: $970 per year is provided for each Fellow for professional development. This can be used for conferences, classes, trainings, or other activities that qualify as “professional development.”
CSTE, in collaboration with the CDC, has established a fellowship program to train recent graduates in the field of applied epidemiology. The CDC/CSTE Fellowship is designed for recent master or doctoral level graduates in epidemiology or a related field who are interested in the practice of public health at the state or local level. Fellows are matched to a state health department for a 2 year fellowship position based on program area of interest.
Program areas include:
Fellows are carefully matched to host agencies based on the career interests of the fellow and available opportunities of the host agency. Program participants will develop a comprehensive set of core skills through competency-based training. The fellowship provides rigorous training in applied epidemiology under the training of experienced mentors who are highly trained epidemiologists at the state and local level.
In order to apply for the Fellowship, applicants must meet the program’s minimum qualifications:
Application Process:
The application includes the following components:
Currently, CSTE is currently recruiting for nine placements in Infectious Disease-HAI, Infectious Disease-Quarantine, and Infectious Disease-Foodborne subject areas. Successful applicants will join our Class X cohort and begin their placement between June and August of this year. Please visit the Host Site Billet page to view complete descriptions of each Fellowship opportunity.
Please use the link below to fill out an online application and upload your CV and personal statement. https://www.wizehive.com/appform/login/epi
In addition, official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and proof of US citizenship are required and must be received in order for your application to be considered complete.
Please send all Fellowship Application materials to: Ashlyn Beavor Workforce and Fellowship Administrator Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2872 Woodcock Blvd, Suite 303 Atlanta, GA 30341-4015
For questions or more information, please contact Ashlyn Beavor at abeavor@cste.org.
THE CDC/CSTE APPLIED EPIDEMIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Overview CSTE, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), has established this fellowship to train recent graduates in the expanding field of applied epidemiology. The goal of the fellowship is to provide a high quality training experience and to secure long-term career placement for fellows at the health agencies to which they are assigned. Participating fellows will receive two years of on-the-job training at a state health agency under the guidance of an experienced mentor.
Program Mission To meet the nation’s ongoing need for applied epidemiology workforce capacity in state and local health departments through a national fellowship-training program.
The fellowship will focus on balancing three key concepts, as identified in the CDC guidance document, Applied Epidemiology and Training Program (AETP) Development Handbook (McDonnell 2002):
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What does the program have to offer?
Using a mentorship model, The CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for graduates to acquire and develop the epidemiologic skills during a high quality, on-the job-training program in public health practice. This fellowship is designed for recent graduates who are interested in the practice of public health at the state or local level. While the program provides rigorous training for its participants, it is also designed with flexibility in order to meet the particular interests of the fellow. Fellows are carefully matched to host agencies based on the career interests of the fellow and available opportunities of the host agency. Program participants will develop a comprehensive set of core skills through competency-based training:
Epidemiologic methods
Communication
Public Health Practice, Policy, and Legal Issues
How are health agencies selected?
Each health agency must identify a particular program area in which the fellow will be placed. Program areas include infectious disease, chronic disease, maternal child healthcare, injury, birth defect and developmental disabilities, environmental, occupational and emergency response epidemiology. Health agencies must submit applications to CSTE that describe the fellowship assignment within a specified program area, supervision, support structure and workspace proposed for the fellow. . Complete applications are reviewed by experienced epidemiologists and are evaluated on:
Successful host agencies will have experienced mentors, day-to-day activities that provide “hands on” epidemiology experience, and the ability to help the fellow achieve all of the program goals. _____________________________________________________________________
Does it pay/what are the benefits?
Fellows with an MPH degree will be paid a biweekly stipend up to $39,000 annually. Stipends will be set according to location, cost of living, and pay structure at the host agency. The stipend for fellows with doctoral degrees will be up to $56,000 annually based on location, cost of living, and pay structure at the host agency. Up to $3200.00 per year will be available to pay the premium for individual health insurance selected by the fellow.
