CDC Entomology Fellowship: Laboratory Quality and Insecticide Resistance Management

CDC Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available in the Office of Laboratory Systems and Response (OLSR) 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.

The Entomology Branch is dedicated to reducing the threat of insect-borne diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, and onchocerciasis. EB’s work centers on vector control and includes technical support for partners and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in areas like insecticide resistance, insecticide and drug analysis, and the deployment of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying. The Entomology Branch plays a vital role in CDC’s public health mission, ensuring all laboratory activities meet the highest scientific standards. The laboratory quality management system (LQMS) provides a structured framework for laboratory workflows, aligning scientific outputs with CDC’s commitment to excellence.

Research project: We are seeking a full-time ORISE fellow to train with the Quality team (50%) and the Insecticide Resistance and Vector Control team (50%). You will gain knowledge of the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the branch’s quality management system. Training will be provided under the mentorship of the Branch Quality Manager, offering hands-on experience in process implementation. You will also gain experience in molecular surveillance of domestic malaria vectors and receive training in nucleic acid extractions, amplicon sequencing, data management and analysis. You will learn how to identify risks and improvement opportunities, ensure compliance with established policies and agency requirements, and draft reports of research results.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the fellowship you will have developed mastery of compliance workflows and learned to apply CDC’s quality standards to the management of documentation, conformance, corrective and preventive action, training, equipment, audits and assessments.

You will receive training in the following activities:

• Developing, maintaining, and revising policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to support the LQMS activities.
• Conducting gap analyses and identify areas of improvement in the laboratories, implementing appropriate preventive and corrective actions.
• Performing laboratory risk assessments.
• Monitoring nonconforming events (NCEs) including root cause analysis and corrective action. Performing periodic trend analysis for continual improvement.
• Implementing and integrating new quality tools to support all functions of the laboratories.
• Utilizing basic statistical tools and techniques to gather and analyze data.
• Collaborating in and learning from relevant committees, meetings, evaluations, and trainings.

Mentors: The mentors for this opportunity are Babita Ganguly (fmm3@cdc.gov) and Lisa Reimer (ute8@cdc.gov). If you have any questions about the nature of this research, please contact the mentors.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Fall 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 CDCrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• 2-4 years of recent related laboratory experience in a clinical, public health or environmental laboratory.
• Equivalent combinations of directly related education and experience in quality assurance and quality management systems and quality improvement may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Basic knowledge of quality management systems and quality improvement tools
• Working knowledge of computer software programs sufficient for evaluation of electronic data, data interpretation, and report development.
• A strong understanding of the principles, practices, and techniques of the various analytical areas of the laboratory.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate in a team environment.
• Excellent organization skills allowing the coordination of multi-faceted QA activities.
• Ability to maintain good relationships with multi-cultural and multidiscipline staff.