CDC - Global Health Center

Program type: Domestic, General Internship

Format: Hybrid

Location: Washington D.C.

*This internship is co-sponsored with Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics (Director’s Internship Program). While HGHI will be the primary contact, the intern selected for this position will have obligations and benefits of an intern in both programs.

Organization Details

• Organization Name: CDC Global Health Center
• Location: Washington, DC
• Website: https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/index.html

Internship Details

• Intern Positions Available: 1
• Format: Hybrid: The position will be a mix of virtual and in-person work.
• Work Environment Details: The team operates in a hybrid environment, typically in the office 1–3 days per week and teleworking on other days. In-person meetings and events around Washington, DC, are also part of the role. The intern will engage with CDC staff, interagency, and external partners virtually and in person.
• Duration: 10 weeks June-August

Organization Description

In today’s interconnected world, a disease threat anywhere can become a health threat in the U.S. CDC’s Global Health Center (GHC) works to protect Americans from dangerous and costly public health threats, such as HIV, TB, COVID-19, vaccine-preventable diseases, and malaria.

The center employs experts in epidemiology, surveillance, informatics, laboratory systems, and other essential disciplines to strengthen critical public health services worldwide. Collaborations with foreign governments help address health challenges and support broader diplomatic engagement, making CDC’s global work critical.

CDC’s global programs aim to address health threats that are major causes of death, disease, and disability globally, leveraging U.S. public health expertise to protect Americans from emerging threats.

Internship Project Description

Internship projects vary depending on the intern’s experience, expertise, interests, and the CDC’s specific needs. Examples of past projects include:

• Supporting efforts to engage interagency and external global health partners.
• Drafting briefing materials and background documents on priority global health topics, such as pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and climate and health.
• Assisting with CDC efforts to brief newly appointed U.S. ambassadors on CDC’s country-level health portfolio.
• Tracking proposed legislation in Congress that may impact CDC’s global work.
• Developing global health newsletters for CDC leadership.
• Covering congressional and partner meetings and providing readouts and action items.
• Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) within CDC’s global health portfolio.

Specific duties may include:

• Conducting landscape analyses and outreach to interagency and external partners.
• Setting up and facilitating meetings.
• Drafting briefing materials for leadership, including the GHC and CDC Directors.
• Developing background materials for the UN General Assembly meeting in September 2024.
• Attending global health events and meetings, taking notes, and facilitating information exchange between GHC and partners.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand how CDC and the U.S. government interagency strategize and implement global health policies and programs.
2. Learn how CDC collaborates across the agency, U.S. government, external partners, and international organizations to achieve global health objectives.
3. Contribute to CDC’s global health policy work by preparing for and participating in meetings, analyzing relevant legislation and policy documents, and engaging in diverse workstreams.

Qualifications

• Skills: Research, writing, partnership development, policy, and communications.
• Experience: Global health, public sector, civil society, international organizations, or international experience.
• Characteristics:
  • CDC is enriched by diverse cultural backgrounds and heritages, fostering an environment of fairness, equity, and inclusion.
  • Candidates should demonstrate independence, teamwork skills, and the ability to work under short deadlines on high-profile activities.

Work Environment

This hybrid role provides an opportunity to engage with CDC, interagency, and external partner staff both virtually and in person. The intern will contribute to a dynamic team working in Washington, DC, and attend meetings and events around the city.

Application Details

Please address the following in the cover letter:

• Experiences related to developing, maintaining, or fostering partnerships.
• Interest in an internship focused on global health at CDC.
• Alignment of the internship with long-term educational and career aspirations.
• Describe any experiences related to partnerships.
• Discuss why this internship aligns with your career goals.

Additional Requirements: A brief online security course is required, along with a successful background check through CDC’s Office of Security and Safety. Interns must obtain a badge (in-person appointment) and computer access for the CDC building and network.

Keywords: Advocacy, Anti-Racism & Global Health, Climate Change, Health Equity, Health Systems Strengthening, Health Policy, Infectious Diseases, Literature Review/Writing, Maternal/Child Health, Sexual/Reproductive Rights, Technology/Innovation, Global Health Security, Pandemic Preparedness, Partnership