CDC Poxvirus and Rabies Viral Genomics Research Fellowship

Organization Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Reference Code CDC-2026-0052

How To Apply To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY. 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.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

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Application Deadline 10/23/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

CDC Office and Location: A research opportunity is available in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located 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: An ORISE Fellowship Opportunity is currently available for a highly motivated individual to join and learn from a community of scientists and researchers engaged in projects related to genomic sequencing and genomic epidemiology of poxviruses and rabies virus in the Poxvirus and Rabies Branch in the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, and through your participation alongside the Poxvirus and Rabies Branch staff, you will:

• Learn how to perform viral genome sequencing and sequence analysis.
• Gain experience running, developing, and improving Nextflow pipelines.
• Learn how to develop and validate novel bioinformatic pipelines, including a way to improve surveillance and detection of recombination in poxviruses.
• Gain experience in the roll-out of a national rabies virus sequence database.
• Sharpen skills to organize, analyze and present data for method evaluation, presentations and publication.
• Understand how to standardize bioinformatic processes and protocols.
• Learn how to engage in outbreak and case investigations for rabies and poxvirus disease.
• Develop skills to engage with U.S., international, and industry public health partners.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Crystal Gigante (lzu1@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 14, 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 is a U.S. Citizen who should have received a master’s or doctoral degree in bioinformatics or a relevant field, or be currently pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree with degree conferred by August 31, 2026. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills

• Strong background in bioinformatics and sequence analysis, with preference for molecular virology
• Exhibits proficiency in one or more programming languages
• Experience with wet laboratory is beneficial
• Strong written and oral communication skills exemplified by scientific publications and presentations
• Ability to participate on own initiative
• Ability to engage with members of a diverse team and participate with other scientific and professional staff
• Maintain excellent records

Point of Contact Rachel

Eligibility Requirements ">2 )

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only

• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 8/31/2026 12:00:00 AM.

• Discipline(s):

• Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (<a href="#" data-bs-toggle="popover" tabindex="0" role="button" data-bs-title="Computer, Information, and Data Sciences" data-bs-content="

  • Artificial Intelligence (including Robotics, Computer Vision, Human Language Processing, and Machine Learning)

  • Data Science- Life Health and Medical Sciences (7 )

    • Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).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.)