The National Center for Health Statistics Postdoctoral Research Program

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is a unique public resource for health information. As the country’s principal health statistics agency, NCHS provides information to develop programs and policies that will improve the health of the American people. NCHS’ mission is to monitor the health of the American people, with activities mirroring the multifaceted aspects of the health and health care environment.

The objective of the NCHS Postdoctoral Research Program is to provide opportunities for postdoctoral candidates to conduct research in areas of their choosing that are compatible with the interests of NCHS.

General research areas include statistical theory, survey methodology, statistical computing, economics, demography, and social and behavioral science.

 

Conditions of Postdoctoral Research Appointments

• A Postdoctoral Researcher is a temporary resident employee of NCHS (Title 42, Subchapter E, Part 61 and Title 5, Part 213.3101R, Excepted Appointment). Postdoctoral Researchers are equivalent to fellows or similar temporary researchers at the postdoctoral level in universities and other organizations. These positions are not intended to be or to compete with permanent professional career positions.
• An offer or acceptance of an award as a Postdoctoral Researcher does not imply later employment.
• Postdoctoral Researchers must devote their full-time effort to the research program and must be in residence at NCHS during the program. No period of tenure may be spent in residence at another agency or institution. No additional monetary aid or other remuneration may be accepted from another appointment, fellowship, or similar grant during the appointment.

 

Eligibility and Consideration

• This appointment is open to U.S. citizens or noncitizens with permanent residency and a valid work authorization. Applicants are responsible for obtaining the necessary authorization. Permanent residency status does not qualify as citizenship.
• Appointments are awarded only to persons who have held doctorates for less than 3 years or are in the process of receiving doctorate degrees at the time of application.
• Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation.

 

Tenure

Awardees are offered 2-year appointments, but extensions may be granted with special consideration. An evaluation is conducted after the first year to insure that the Postdoctoral Researcher is making suitable progress.

 

Education and Experience

• Awardees must hold a Ph.D. or other earned research degree recognized in the United States as equivalent to the Ph.D., or they must present acceptable evidence of having completed all the formal academic requirements for the degree before appointment. Applicants must have demonstrated ability for creative research.
• Training and research experience may be in any appropriate discipline or combination of disciplines required for the proposed research.

 

Statement of Research Interest

• Applicants must submit a statement of research interest describing the project to be completed during the postdoctoral appointment. The proposal should describe the purpose and context of the research project, the research approach and methods to be used, key activities to be undertaken during the appointment period, and the expected contributions of the proposed research.
• Proposals should not exceed five pages.
• Applicants are encouraged to contact NCHS to obtain specific information on current research and available technical facilities and to speak with NCHS researchers working in their areas of interest.

 

Panel Review

• The Office of Management and Operations at NCHS receives all application materials and supporting documents.
• A special panel will evaluate Postdoctoral Research proposals. Panelists are chosen to review applications on the basis of their stature and research experience in relevant fields of statistics, mathematics, computer science, statistical computing, economics, sociology, demography, social science research, and psychology. Their evaluation is the basis for the selections.
• Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. 1. The project’s relevance to the mission of NCHS and contribution to the field. Proposals should clearly articulate the overall purpose of the project, its relationship to the mission, and the overall scientific or policy contributions of the proposed work.
   2. The strength of the approach, design, and methodology. Proposals should clearly describe the analytic approach to be used and how the approach will address research questions of interest.
   3. The feasibility of the project. Proposals will be evaluated in terms of their substantive and methodological feasibility. Applicants should demonstrate sufficient knowledge of data systems proposed for use in the project to demonstrate feasibility. Proposals will also be assessed with respect to the feasibility of completion of key activities within the proposed time frame.
   4. The applicant’s personal and professional qualifications. Applicants will be assessed with respect to their academic achievements, scientific and programmatic accomplishments, and other professional accomplishments.

 

Salary and Benefits

• The annual starting salary range for an NCHS Postdoctoral Researcher is $77,490—$119,794 (equivalent to the GS-12/13 scale), with adjustments depending on qualifications and experience.
• Sick leave, annual leave, Thrift Savings 401(k)-equivalent, and health and life insurance are available.
• FlexiTime or an alternate work schedule (including telework) is available with a supervisor’s approval.
• NCHS is located in Hyattsville, Maryland. Free onsite parking or a public-transportation subsidy is available. The local subway station is within walking distance, and complimentary shuttle service to and from NCHS is available.

 

Initiation of Tenure

NCHS offers a limited number of awards annually. Starting dates are negotiated individually but are expected to occur between May 1 and July 31. At this time, NCHS is under a hiring freeze and this position is on hold until further notice.

 

Relocation Expenses

The cost of relocating to the Washington, D.C. metro area, within allowances prescribed by law, will be determined on an individual basis.

 

Application Deadline

. At this time, NCHS is under a hiring freeze and this position is on hold until further notice.  

 

Notification of Awards

At this time, NCHS is under a hiring freeze and this position is on hold until further notice.

 

Required Application Materials and Supporting Documents

Submit to address below:

• Curriculum vitae
• Copy of unofficial transcripts of all graduate and undergraduate credits, if selected will require Official Transcripts (in sealed envelop)
• Copy of three reference letters (on original letterhead with original signature), if selected will require original reference letters
• Statement of research interest

NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

 

Suggested Research Areas

Topics may include but are not limited to:

• Confidentiality, protection, and related topics
• Data linkage
• Quality control, quality improvement, and measurement
• Nonresponse in sample surveys
• Telephone survey methods
• Data collection in a changing health care environment and system
• Small-area estimation
• Cognitive processes and question response
• Data editing and imputation
• Statistical computing
• Sampling and estimation
• Questionnaire design and measurement research
• Human factors and usability research
• Data mining

 

Mailing Address and Contact

Luigia Franks
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road, Mail Stop—P-08, Room 183
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Inquiries: E-mail NCHSPostDoc@cdc.gov or call 301–458–4217