Health Economist Position

[Ruth Indeck <soapbox@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

          To URPE Members and Friends
 
 Forwarded by Kim Christensen
 
 For information, contact: Helen Perry (hap5@xxxxxxx)
 
 FOR ADDITIONAL JOB POSTINGS, CHECK THE URPE WEBSITE: 
 http://urpe.org/jobspostings.html
 
 ******************************************
 
 CDC -- National Centers for Infectious Diseases
 Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
 Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch
 Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Initiative
 Atlanta, GA 30333
 
 POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
 
 Health Economist Post-Doctoral Fellowship
 
 Application Opening Date:  June 1, 2004
 Application Deadline:  July 2, 2004
 
 Location:  Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch (MSPB), Division of Bacterial
and Mycotic Diseases (DBMD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Atlanta, GA 30333.  Website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/programs.htm
 
 The Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch is responsible for investigation,
surveillance, and control of meningitis, and other vaccine-preventable diseases
for childhood and bacterial zoonotic diseases.  MSPB has a history of applied
economics research including, most recently, cost effectiveness of meningococcal
conjugate vaccines and economic burden of Buruli Ulcer to households in Ghana.
 
 Project goals:  A major project in MSPB is collaboration with the World
Health Organization Regional Headquarters for Africa (AFRO) on integrated
disease surveillance and response (IDSR).  The goal of IDSR is to improve
the availability and use of surveillance and laboratory data at the district
level.   IDSR addresses the availability of information that leads to early
detection and control of nineteen priority communicable diseases in the African
region. 
 
 Position:  We are inviting applications for a health economist to assist
our IDSR team in development of critical questions and related studies that
address cost implications of vertical versus integrated surveillance and response
strategies and prevention effectiveness of IDSR using selected examples. 
The study results will be used to inform policy and guide public health leaders,
private sector participants, funding partners and disease program managers
in decision-making for improved resource mobilization and allocation for disease
surveillance at national and international levels.
 
 Responsibilities:  The successful candidate will:
 
 • Evaluate existing data and support the team in developing an appropriate
operational research agenda.
 • Design and develop methodologies for analyzing costs and benefits of infectious
disease surveillance in developing countries.
 • Apply developed methodologies in gathering and analyzing data to evaluate
the economics of a district surveillance package.
 • Prepare interim reports and updates to support discussions with policy
makers.
 • Conduct an economic evaluation of IDSR 
 • Present findings in formal and non-formal settings and make finding accessible
for practical applications in advocacy materials.
 • Prepare manuscripts for biomedical journals.
 
 
 Qualifications
 
 • PhD in Economics with specialization in health economics, prevention effectiveness
or economics of health policy.
 • Interest in collecting data from developing countries, particularly Africa.
 
 • Self motivated and able to work very closely with non-economists from
several disciplines, including epidemiologists, policy makers, training officers,
clinicians, laboratorians, health educators, etc.  
 • Willing to look for innovative ways to combine economic theory and data
analytic methodologies with public health data and theories. 
 • Willing to produce documents that are readily accessible to practical
applications and multidisciplinary audiences as well as manuscripts that
can be published in biomedical journals.  
 • Able to work with international non-economist counterparts in non-U.S.
settings
 • Willing to travel approximately 25% of the year.
 • French- or Portuguese-language speaking ability is desirable.
 
 
 Compensation:  The salary range is at the GS-12 to GS-13 level.  Renewal
for the second year is dependant upon successful performance appraisal for
the first year.
 
 To apply:  Please prepare an application packet that contains:
 
 1. A letter describing your interest, qualifications and requirements for
this position
 2. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae
 3. A list of three references with their contact information.  
 
 Submit the materials by regular mail or E-mail to:
 
 Regular mail:
 Helen N. Perry, IDSR team leader
 CDC-NCID
 Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
 Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch
 1600 Clifton Rd.  Mail Stop C-09
 Atlanta, GA 30333
 
 E-mail:
 Helen Perry (hap5@xxxxxxx) 
 
 Supervision of this position will be provided by Dr. Richard Besser, chief,
MSPB/DBMD, Dr Martin Meltzer, Senior Health Economist, Dr Nancy Rosenstein,
epidemiology section chief, MSPB/DBMD and Ms. Helen Perry, team leader for
IDSR.