James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program

The Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded nine week summer program providing educational and professional development opportunities for students from underrepresented populations defined by the federal government (http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/ExecutiveOrders.html) and those interested in addressing health disparities related to infectious diseases.

Program Activities:

The program begins May 27, 2013, with an orientation at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland that focuses on research design, infectious diseases, urban health issues, and other health equity topics. (Students assigned to CDC will have their CDC orientation in Atlanta on Thursday and Friday of the first week.)  During the remaining eight weeks of the program, students receive mentored research and professional development experiences at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia or in Baltimore, Maryland at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Bloomberg School of Public Health, or the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Ferguson Fellowship is contingent on federal funding.

Frequently Asked Questions
Student Experiences

CDC Site in Atlanta, GA offers an advanced

• Research Externship: Students work with research mentors on a range of infectious disease projects and public health prevention, treatment and epidemiological studies.  Research experiences include laboratory science, epidemiology, public health policy, public health education and emergency preparedness. Conferences and networking related to public health infectious diseases research and response preparedness are offered.

  CDC research experience example

Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland Department of Health offers a clinical and community-based

• Research Externship: Students work with research mentors on projects related to infectious diseases treatment, prevention, and epidemiology. Students may receive training in conducting community-based participatory research, which engages communities that are currently underserved by mainstream systems.

  Kennedy Krieger/Johns Hopkins research experience example

In addition, students may participate in

• Clinical and Community Experiences: Students rotate through clinical experiences related to infectious diseases and public health, attend clinical rounds, and/or work with the Maryland State health department. In addition, students may also attend community-based health care programs and support systems for underserved groupbs.

  The final day of the program is July 26, 2013.

Program Benefits

• A $4,000 stipend is provided for all participants.
• Housing and round-trip travel are also available for out-of-state students.
• Sponsorship to attend a national scientific meeting following abstract submission
• Sponsored membership in the American Public Health Association (APHA)

Expectations & Objectives:

Fellows accepted into this fellowship are expected to:

• Attend weekly public health summer seminars and periodic distance sessions during the academic year
• Develop and present their research or infectious diseases public health topic at the Fellowship Program Symposia at the end of the summer session
• Submit an abstract to a national scientific meeting

Eligibility Requirements:

Students who are members of under-represented populations (as defined by the federal government) are strongly encouraged to apply!

In order to be considered for acceptance into this program, the applicant must:

• Be currently enrolled as a full-time student in a medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, or public health graduate program.
• Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Have the ability to commit to the length of the fellowship

Application Guidelines:

To be considered for admission, students must complete an application package. The application package should be submitted no later than Thursday, February 14, 2013.

For More Information:

For additional program information, please contact Ferguson_Fellowship@kennedykrieger.org