Branch Overview

The Capacity Building Branch (CBB) works to strengthen and sustain the capabilities of the HIV prevention workforce to conduct effective and efficient HIV prevention services. CBB supports programs and activities to enhance HIV knowledge, skills, technology, and infrastructure needed to implement and sustain science-based, culturally appropriate HIV prevention behavioral interventions and HIV public health prevention strategies.

CBB provides leadership, in collaboration with CDC partners; including national, regional, and non-governmental organizations, health departments, contractors, and private sector agencies, to strengthen HIV prevention providers’ efforts to diffuse effective interventions. CBB works through its four teams; Branch Operations Support Services Team, Partnerships Team, Training and Development Team, and Science Application Team.

Position Overview: Evaluation Scientist for the Science Application Team, Capacity Building Branch, DHAP-IRS, NCHHSTP, CDC, Atlanta, GA.

The Fellow assigned to CBB will serve as an Evaluation Scientist with the Science Application Team (SAT). SAT consists of behavioral scientists charged with helping agencies and health departments sustain the science base of HIV prevention behavioral interventions and strategies. Members of SAT collaborate with other CDC staff on the design and evaluation of dissemination strategies. SAT members apply the theories and techniques of behavioral and social science and evaluation to HIV prevention interventions and strategies.

The Fellow will evaluate dissemination of evidence-based HIV behavioral interventions and other prevention strategies. This evaluation is extensive and includes data collection and assessment at the federal, state, and local levels, among a broad range of partners and stakeholders in the national HIV prevention infrastructure. The primary focus will be on CBB-funded programs that facilitate capacity building assistance to strengthen the efforts of HIV prevention providers. The Fellow will be involved in an evaluation of DHAP capacity building activities to determine if the capacity to implement evidence-based prevention practice has been increased by DHAP-funded programs. In these evaluations, the unit of analysis is the agency and not the individual client/person.

The successful applicant for this position should have an earned PhD or equivalent in health, social or behavioral sciences. Training or experience in HIV prevention program evaluation, policy analysis, and/or system analysis is also desirable. Training in qualitative research such as focus groups, stakeholder interviews, key informant interviews, and coding of qualitative data is helpful. Training in quantitative research and biostatistics at the level of multivariate analysis will also be helpful to reach Fellowship objectives.

The Fellow will monitor and evaluate a complex capacity building strategy and system to ensure success and achievement of goals and objectives as well as prevention program improvement. The successful candidate will spend 100% time on the project “Monitoring and Evaluation of CBB’s Capacity Building Program.” The Fellow will meet with mentors to determine basic evaluation research training needs and develop a plan for the 2-year fellowship training period. The Fellow will receive in-house training to increase knowledge of national, state and local HIV/AIDS and STD prevention and control efforts in the U.S. and the Division of HIV/AIDS organizational structure and functions. More specific activities include working as part of the evaluation team to: prepare an OMB package, conduct literature reviews, develop evaluation protocols and data collection tools, and collect, analyze and report findings. As part of this process, the Fellow will be involved in at least one CDC-sponsored site visit. The Fellow will also develop and deliver an oral or poster presentation at an international, domestic or CDC scientific meeting. The Fellow is expected to serve as a first author and co-author on manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.