DSEPD Support and Services

We provide staff to CDC programs, local health departments, and other partners through fellow assignments.

Fellows are assigned to positions at state and local health departments or CDC headquarters through a competitive process. Fellows receive training and mentoring and provide service during their assignments.

DSEPD also works through a cooperative agreement with partners to place fellows in state and local health departments. Programs find fellows helpful for a wide range of initiatives, from immunization, to preparedness, to antimicrobial resistance, and more. Find out more about CDC’s opportunities to host a fellow or intern at the CDC Fellowships Host Site web page.

We provide short-term technical assistance and deployments of fellows to state or local health departments.

Technical assistance is provided through several mechanisms.  Some examples include the following:

• An Epi-Aid is the mechanism CDC uses for public health authorities to request short-term (1–3 weeks) epidemiologic assistance. Epi-Aids allow rapid response by Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers.
• An Econ-Aid is the mechanism CDC uses for public health authorities to request assistance with economics analysis and is offered through the Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship.
• A Lab-Aid is a mechanism for public health authorities to request laboratory assistance and is offered through the Laboratory Leadership Service.
• An Info-Aid is a mechanism for public health partners to request informatics assistance and is offered through the Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program.

Fellows work closely with the state and local public health authorities, and the appropriate subject matter experts at CDC. The opportunity to provide technical assistance is a mutual benefit for the fellows and the program needing assistance.

Additionally, many fellows can deploy during emergency response or other urgent public health events. Fellows participate in responses as a part of their experiential training and can deploy to the field or to CDC’s Emergency Operations Center.

We deliver and promote learning opportunities for health professionals to improve health.

CDC Learning Connection helps health professionals find CDC and CDC partner trainings and other learning resources, through the website, social media and a monthly e-newsletter. CDC TRAINExternal is a dynamic online learning system that allows users to search for and track courses they take. Users get access to thousands of CDC-approved learning resources within CDC TRAIN and thousands of courses offered by other course providers in the national TRAIN system. Users can earn credits, contact hours, and units for certifications and licensures and track their continuing education in the TCEO system. These services are free and open to everyone.

The E-learning Institute (ELI) is an online fellowship designed to cultivate skills of public health training professionals with limited experience designing or developing e-learning products.