CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program Class of 2027: Two-Year Paid Informatics Fellowship
The CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program offers a two-year, full-time paid fellowship combining CDC host-site work, informatics training, and public-health projects for qualified master’s- and doctoral-level professionals.
CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program Class of 2027: Two-Year Paid Informatics Fellowship
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is accepting applications for the Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) Class of 2027. This is a two-year, full-time paid fellowship for professionals who can connect public health practice with computer science, data science, information systems, statistics, engineering, or related fields. Fellows are assigned to CDC host sites, receive competency-based training, and work on projects that improve the way public health agencies collect, manage, evaluate, and use information.
The 2027 application period opened September 1, 2026 and closes November 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Recommendation forms are due from recommenders by November 15. Selected candidates are expected to begin their CDC assignments in August 2027 and complete a two-week orientation in September 2027. The program is a paid fellowship, but the current CDC pages do not publish a single stipend or salary figure. Applicants should use the official application portal and contact PHIFP at [email protected] with questions about compensation or employment terms.
Key details at a glance
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program, Class of 2027 |
| Funder and host | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
| Fellowship length | Two years, full time |
| Paid status | CDC describes PHIFP as a two-year paid fellowship; the 2027 page does not state a dollar amount |
| Application opens | September 1, 2026 |
| Applicant deadline | November 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET |
| Recommendation deadline | November 15, 2026 |
| Screening | November 2026 through January 2027 |
| Host-site interviews | January through February 2027 |
| Final selections | February through March 2027 |
| Assignment start | August 2027 |
| Orientation | Two weeks in September 2027 |
| Typical locations | CDC assignments; about 85% are in Atlanta and 10% in Washington, DC, according to the eligibility page |
| Remote work | Fellows must relocate to the assigned site; the program says fellows are not eligible to work remotely |
| Official application information | CDC PHIFP application page |
The timeline and requirements above come from CDC pages updated in August and September 2026. The application portal and eligibility page are the final authority if the program posts a correction or additional instruction.
What PHIFP provides
PHIFP is structured as applied training inside a public health agency. CDC describes fellows as professionals who bring expertise in computer science, data analytics, data science, and information technology to current and future public health needs. A fellow is placed with a CDC center, institute, or office and works on an advanced project while building broader informatics skills through coursework and experiential learning.
The training model is heavily practice based. CDC says the two-year curriculum is approximately 90% on-the-job training and 10% coursework in informatics, data science, and public health. That mix is useful for applicants who want a substantial project portfolio and exposure to public health systems rather than a classroom-only credential. It also means that the quality of the host-site assignment matters: applicants should be ready to explain the kinds of systems, analyses, evaluations, or data products they would like to improve.
Fellows are required to work on host-site projects, provide short-term technical assistance called Info-Aids, and complete a capstone project. A capstone may involve designing, developing, implementing, enhancing, or evaluating an information system or other artifact in the public health domain. Fellows can also contribute to emergency response activities and provide technical assistance to state, local, territorial, federal, and international public health organizations.
The fellowship is paid, which distinguishes it from an unpaid practicum. However, CDC does not list a 2027 salary, stipend rate, health-benefit package, or relocation allowance on the public application pages reviewed for this guide. The eligibility page explicitly says relocation costs will not be paid. Treat the opportunity as paid professional employment or training whose exact compensation and appointment conditions must be confirmed through the application process.
Who is eligible
Applicants need a qualifying degree from an accredited academic institution. CDC lists doctoral degrees such as a PhD, MD, PharmD, DrPH, or equivalent, and master’s degrees such as an MPH, MS, MSc, or equivalent. The degree must be in public health, medicine, healthcare, health services research, computer science, data science, medical or public health informatics, statistics, epidemiology, engineering, or operations research.
A degree alone is not enough. Applicants must also document at least one year of full-time work or volunteer experience in the same field as the qualifying degree. For example, an applicant with a master’s degree in epidemiology should be able to show a year of relevant epidemiology work or volunteering. Someone with a computer science degree should demonstrate experience in the same technical field. Use dates, role descriptions, and concrete outputs so the reviewer can verify the one-year requirement quickly.
CDC accepts several citizenship and work-authorization categories. Eligible groups listed on the official page include U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, current TN, J-1, or H-1B visa holders, and certain F-1 students. An F-1 applicant must have Optional Practical Training with an Employment Authorization Document valid for the entire first year of the program and must have STEM eligibility before the program starts. Individuals outside the United States may be considered if they are eligible for a J-1 visa. Applicants must also verify that they are not citizens of a country designated by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Research or evaluation experience is expected. CDC gives examples including publications, thesis writing and defense, poster presentations, and a research or evaluation proposal. This requirement does not mean every applicant needs a long publication record. It does mean the application should show that the applicant can frame a question, work with evidence, and communicate a defensible result.
Finally, selected fellows must commit to two years full time and relocate to the assigned CDC site. The CDC page reports that most assignments are in Atlanta, Georgia, with a smaller share in Washington, DC, and says fellows cannot work remotely. Confirm the specific host location and any work-authorization implications before accepting an assignment.
How the application timeline works
The application period for the Class of 2027 runs from September 1 through November 6, 2026. CDC will not accept late applications or supporting materials. Recommendation forms have a separate deadline of November 15, so recommenders receive a short window after the applicant submits the main application. Ask recommenders early and give them the deadline, the program description, and a concise summary of the projects or skills you want them to address.
From November 2026 through January 2027, PHIFP screens applications for eligibility and quality. CDC host sites contact and interview applicants during January and February 2027. Host sites make final selections and notify applicants from February through March. Selected candidates are onboarded from March through July and begin their assignments in August 2027. New fellows complete a two-week PHIFP orientation in September.
The sequence means an applicant should be ready for both program-level review and a host-site conversation. The initial reviewers need evidence of eligibility, informatics ability, public health understanding, and research or evaluation practice. A host site will likely need a clearer view of how the applicant works on a team, handles ambiguous data problems, and communicates with subject-matter experts. Prepare for both levels without claiming a specific interview format that CDC has not published.
Materials and application preparation
Begin by creating a requirements checklist from the CDC eligibility page and the application portal. Confirm the degree title, awarding institution, graduation date, one-year experience evidence, citizenship or work authorization, relocation willingness, and two-year availability. If a degree title is unusual, gather a transcript or institutional description that makes the field clear. The portal may request additional documents; follow its current prompts rather than relying on a prior cycle’s checklist.
Build a concise evidence file for research and evaluation experience. List a thesis, evaluation, poster, publication, data product, or proposal with the question, your role, methods, and result. A reviewer should be able to distinguish work you led from work you merely observed. Technical claims are stronger when paired with a public health outcome, such as improved reporting completeness, faster detection, clearer data definitions, or a more reliable workflow.
Choose recommenders who can discuss both technical work and public health judgment. CDC’s timeline confirms that recommendation forms are required, but it does not prescribe a particular recommender title on the public page. A supervisor, research adviser, or project lead who can give specific examples is generally more useful than a prestigious contact who knows little about your work. Send each recommender the program link, your résumé, a draft of your goals, and the November 15 submission date.
Use the personal narrative, where requested by the portal, to connect your background to public health informatics. Explain the population or system you want to serve, the technical problems you can work on, and the skills you need to develop. Avoid presenting a generic interest in “data” or “innovation.” Describe a real information challenge and how your experience prepares you to investigate it responsibly.
How to make a strong case
A strong application makes the degree, experience, and public health connection easy to verify. Put the qualifying field and dates near the top of your résumé. Then show one or two projects in enough detail to demonstrate analytical reasoning, system thinking, and communication. Mention tools only when they explain what you accomplished; a list of software names without a result is weak evidence.
Show that you can work across disciplines. Public health informatics projects involve epidemiologists, clinicians, statisticians, software teams, program managers, and agency partners. Give an example of translating a technical finding for a nontechnical audience, resolving a data-definition disagreement, or adapting a project after stakeholder feedback. This is more persuasive than describing yourself as a “team player” without an example.
Address relocation directly. Since CDC says fellows are not remote and relocation costs are not paid, applicants should make a realistic housing and budget plan for the likely assignment locations. Do not wait until an offer to discover that a two-year move is impossible. If you require a particular work authorization, ask PHIFP about the process before submitting rather than assuming that a visa category will transfer automatically.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most serious mistake is missing the November 6 deadline or assuming recommendation forms can arrive later without a plan. The application page says late applicant materials are not accepted, and the program separately lists November 15 for recommendations. Submit the applicant portion early enough to resolve portal problems and verify that each recommender has received the correct instructions.
Another mistake is treating any data job as informatics experience. CDC asks for education and experience in a qualifying field and asks applicants to document research or evaluation work. Explain the public health, healthcare, statistical, systems, or engineering connection instead of relying on a job title alone.
Do not omit visa or citizenship details. The program lists eligible categories and requires applicants to verify that they are not citizens of a designated state sponsor of terrorism. If your status is complex, contact PHIFP at [email protected] before the deadline.
Finally, do not assume the fellowship is remote or that relocation will be reimbursed. The official eligibility page says fellows must relocate, cannot work remotely, and will not have relocation costs paid. Plan for those conditions when deciding whether the opportunity fits.
Frequently asked questions
Is PHIFP a scholarship?
No. CDC describes it as a two-year paid fellowship with on-the-job training, coursework, host-site assignments, technical assistance, and a capstone. The public 2027 pages do not describe tuition funding or a scholarship award.
How much does the fellowship pay?
The program is paid, but no 2027 salary or stipend amount is published on the application, eligibility, or program pages reviewed for this guide. Ask PHIFP for the current appointment and compensation details.
Can I apply if I live outside the United States?
Possibly. CDC lists people outside the United States who are eligible for a J-1 visa among the groups that may be considered. Non-U.S. citizens who advance are contacted to discuss work authorization.
Do I need a PhD?
No. CDC lists qualifying master’s degrees as well as doctoral degrees. You still need at least one year of documented full-time work or volunteer experience in the same field as the qualifying degree.
Can fellows work remotely?
No. CDC says fellows must relocate to their assigned site and are not eligible to work remotely.
When do selected fellows start?
The Class of 2027 timeline says selected candidates begin CDC assignments in August 2027 and complete a two-week orientation in September 2027.
Official links and next steps
Start with the CDC application and timeline page. Read the Fellow Eligibility & Requirements page for degree fields, experience, citizenship, research, and relocation rules. Review What Fellows Do to understand the 90% on-the-job and 10% coursework model, Info-Aids, host-site projects, and capstone. The 2027 application portal is the place to register and submit the current form.
Before November 6, verify every eligibility item, prepare evidence for at least one year of relevant experience, arrange recommendation forms for the November 15 deadline, and make a relocation plan. For questions about the process, timeline, or requirements, CDC lists [email protected] as the program contact.