Nutrition Policy and Promotion Fellowship

Overview

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

HHS Office and Location: A nutrition policy and promotion fellowship is available in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of the Secretary (OS), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) located in Rockville, Maryland.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.

ODPHP leads the alignment and coordination of disease prevention and health promotion activities across the department Within ODPHP, the Division of Prevention Science coordinates departmental efforts in the development and implementation of: 1) the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is the basis of all federal food, nutrition, and health programs and 2) the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provides science-based recommendations and summarizes the latest knowledge about physical activity and health. ODPHP also supports the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, a federal advisory committee charged with promoting the importance of physical activity and healthy eating.

Research Project: The participant will gain professional experience in a health policy setting. The primary goal for the nutrition policy fellow will be helping in the coordination and development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow may also be involved in the following learning activities:

Supporting the development, implementation, and review of Dietary Guidelines and related materials through writing, editing, and research.
Supporting communication and dissemination of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Observing research to inform the development of resources to support the launch of the Dietary Guidelines.
Participating in cross-agency federal and outside expert meetings.
Participating in and reviewing team projects in the areas of disease prevention and health promotion.
Developing responses for Departmental correspondence and clearances.
Participating in Division of Prevention Science meetings, contributing to program development and implementation.
Contributing to Departmental prevention efforts.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Katrina Piercy (Katrina.Piercy@hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 1, 2025. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of HHS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience and receive a stipend for healthcare benefits. The current stipend for this opportunity is based on the graduate degree obtained and is within the range of $68,405 – $99,200 per year.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and HHS. Participants do not become employees of HHS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email HHSrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g., nutrition). Registered Dietitian is preferred. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

Strong communication skills, both written and orally, for various audiences in clear and concise formats;
Ability to review and interpret nutrition research and translate findings to various audiences;
Be able to perform independently as well as with a team;
Be a self-starter capable of working in a fast-paced environment;
Ability to leverage interpersonal skills to facilitate meetings, manage group dynamics, and foster collaboration;
Skilled at project management and detail oriented; and
Have strong interpersonal, organizational, analytical and technical writing skills.