Public health informatics is the systematic application of knowledge about systems that capture, manage, analyze, and use information to improve population-level health outcomes.
PHIFP provides on-the-job training for professionals to apply expertise in computer science, data analytics, and data science to public health to address current and future public health needs.
Informatics Fellows are assigned to host sites within CDC, where they work on advanced projects to enhance information systems and data projects to improve our nation’s health. Fellows share their expertise while also growing their skills through classroom and experiential learning.
Application Details
- Class of 2026 fellowship applications will be open August 15–November 1, 2025.
- PHIFP provides on-the-job training for qualified professionals.
- Fellows apply expertise in computer science, data analytics, and data science to public health to address current and future public health needs.
- Through assignments at CDC, fellows work on advanced projects to enhance information systems that improve our nation’s health.
Eligibility Criteria
Interested candidates must meet the eligibility requirements to apply for PHIFP.
Eligibility
Education
Doctoral level candidates
All doctoral candidates must have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, DrPH) from an accredited academic institution in one of the following:
- Public health, medicine, healthcare/health services research.
- Computer science, data science, or medical/public health informatics.
- Statistics or epidemiology.
- Engineering.
- Operations research.
Master’s level candidates
All master’s level candidates must have a master’s degree (MPH, MS, MSc) from an accredited academic institution in one of the following:
- Public health, medicine, healthcare/health services research.
- Computer science, data science, or medical/public health informatics.
- Statistics or epidemiology.
- Engineering.
- Operations research.
Additionally, master’s level candidates must have at least 1 year of documented full-time work or volunteer experience in the same field as their qualifying degree.
Citizenship
Applicants must verify that they are not a citizen of a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism per this US Department of State website: State Sponsors of Terrorism.
Applicants must be in one of the following groups to be considered for the program.
- US citizens
- US Permanent Residents
- F1 visa holders
- Prior to the program start date, F1 applicants must have an OPT with EAD that is valid for the entire first year of the program AND have STEM eligibility.
Non-US citizen candidates who advance in the selection process will be contacted to discuss their work authorization.
Research
PHIFP applicants should document any research or evaluation experience that they completed during or after their academic training.
Acceptable experience includes publications, thesis writing and defense, poster presentations, and/or a research or evaluation proposal.
Relocation
Accepted fellows must relocate to their assigned CDC site. Most assignments are in Atlanta, GA (85%) or Washington, DC (10%). Fellows are not eligible to work remotely. Relocation costs will not be paid.
Fellowship Compensation and Benefits
Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) fellows are full-time equivalent (FTE) federal government employees during the two-year fellowship.
Master’s degree fellows are paid at the GS 11, step 3 level, and doctoral degree fellows are paid at the GS 12, step 3 level. They receive the same benefits as other CDC FTE employees, including medical insurance and leave.
Fellows may be eligible for salary increases after the first year of their fellowship. Salary increases are based on performance and written recommendations of appropriate management officials. See the Office of Personnel Management salary table, below, for more information.
Fellows are responsible for any relocation expenses for their two-year assignment. For more info visit – https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/
What Fellows Learn
PHIFP provides fellows with a two-year, competency-based training in public health informatics. Fellows receive experiential training to enhance the informatics workforce at CDC and serve other public health organizations through:
- Solving cutting-edge public health issues using computer science, data science, and information technology.
- A training curriculum that consists of 90% on-the job training and 10% coursework in informatics, data science, and public health.
- Improving the implementation of information systems and conduct informatics evaluation.
Orientation
In preparation for the real-world assignments and activities, fellows are required to attend a two-week orientation that provides background information about CDC, public health, and the role of informatics within the public health system.
Required activities
PHIFP fellows learn through a combination of on-the-job training and coursework. As part of their requirements, PHIFP fellows:
- Work on public health informatics projects within the assigned host site (host site projects).
- Provide short-term technical assistance to federal, international, state, local, and territorial health departments and non-profit agencies through special requests (Info-Aids).
- Design, develop, implement, enhance, or evaluate an information system or artifact in the public health domain (capstone project).
How Fellows Serve
During their assignments in CDC centers, institutes, and offices (CIOs), PHIFP fellows provide robust informatics capacity that also provides solutions for state and local health departments and international public health agencies.
PHIFP fellows routinely perform the following activities:
- Work with teams involved in research and development of public health information systems.
- Conduct informatics evaluations on complex public health information systems.
- Contribute to CDC’s emergency response activities.
- Provide technical assistance to state and local health departments and international public health agencies through short-term assignments, or Info-Aids.
Application Process
Eligible applicants should allow ample time to prepare the required information and submit the online application according to the deadline.
How to prepare
Eligible applicants should follow these steps to prepare required information for the fellowship application.
- Update your resume or CV.
- Gather all information about your education; graduate training and skills; work and volunteer experience; publications, presentations, and grants; honors and awards. For work experience, applicants should include the position title, description of their roles responsibilities, and accomplishments, location, and employment dates (start/end date including month and year.)
- Write a personal statement. The personal statement consists of two fields, each with a 500-word limit, for a total of 1,000 words.
- What influenced you to consider a career in public health? (500 words)
- How will this fellowship help achieve your goals? (500 words)
- Identify three or more people to complete recommendation forms on your behalf.
- Obtain unofficial copies of transcripts for all earned and in-progress college degrees.
Standardized letters of recommendation (SLORs)
- Three recommendation forms are required from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic achievements, aspirations, personal qualities, and professional attributes.
- At least two recommendation forms must be from persons who are not currently employed at the CDC.
- Persons completing recommendation forms should typically be current or former supervisors or professors. Avoid requesting recommendation forms from colleagues or friends.
- Recommendations must be specific to the PHIFP application and written in English.
- Please inform all recommenders to expect a system-generated email from PHIFP (PHIFP@cdc.gov) with instructions for submitting the recommendation forms.
- Recommendation forms are due one week after the PHIFP application deadline (see Applying to be a Fellow). To allow your recommenders time to complete their forms, please submit these requests early.
Transcripts
Your application requires copies of unofficial transcripts for all earned degrees and in-progress degrees.
- All applicants with degrees obtained at a non-U.S. institution, regardless of U.S. citizenship status, must also provide documentation of an academic credentialing evaluation to ensure degree requirements are equivalent.
- For this requirement, an applicant must provide a course-by-course academic credentialing evaluation for any degree from a non-US academic institution before the application deadline. Degree evaluations that do not list individual courses will not be considered.
- Your academic credential evaluation must be completed by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For more information about academic credential evaluation, a list of member organizations, and to submit the applicant’s degrees for evaluation, please visit the NACES website.
- This requirement applies to all Doctoral, Master’s, and Bachelor’s level degrees.
- Transcripts must state the applicant’s degree of study, courses taken, earned grades, and graduation date if the degree has been conferred.
- Transcripts and other proof of degree completion will not be returned.
Additional training and skills (optional)
Provide documentation of any additional online or in-person training completed. Online training may be completed on massive online open course (MOOC) platforms or online through universities. In-person training may be completed at conferences or professional development seminars.
How to apply
Once you have prepared the above information, you are ready to start the online application. The link for the online application is only provided and active during open application periods.
The application will prompt you for:
- Contact information
- Work and volunteer experience
- Education
- Post-graduate training and skills
- Honors and awards
- Publications, presentations, and grants
- Personal statement
- Self-assessment of technical skills
- Three recommendation forms
- Unofficial college or university transcripts
Please complete all sections of the application. When you are finished, select submit. You will receive an email notification stating that your application has been successfully submitted.
All supporting documents (e.g., unofficial transcripts, recommendation forms, evaluation of transcripts) must be submitted by the application deadline.
Official transcripts
If the applicant is accepted into the program, CDC must receive their official transcript by June 30th of the fellowship year. Official transcripts are sent from your educational institution directly to the CDC.
If a degree requires a completed thesis or dissertation, the applicant must have defended their thesis or dissertation on or before May 31st of the year they enter PHIFP. The institution will need to submit the applicant’s transcripts with the conferred degree as soon as the degree becomes available.
Contact the PHIFP program for questions about the application process.
Visit the website.
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