Supp State Part B

SUPPORTING STATEMENT B

Fellowship Management System

OMB No. 0920-0765

Project Contact: Elinor Greene

[email protected]

Office of the Director

Scientific Education and Professional Development Program Office

Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS – E-92

Atlanta, GA 30333

Phone: 404-498-6156

Fax: 404-498-6650

Submission Date: December 13, 2011

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

The collection of information does not employ statistical methods. The information collected is used for program management.

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

The respondent universe consists of professionals in public health, epidemiology, medicine, economics, information science, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public policy, and related professions, and medical, veterinary, and graduate students who apply to the CDC fellowship programs as described in this information collection request (ICR) for revision, alumni of the fellowship programs as stated in this ICR, and employees of public health agencies or organizations who will submit host site assignment proposals to the fellowship programs as stated in this ICR for revision. No sampling methods will be used.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

In the currently approved FMS information collection, applicants (Attachment 1, FMS Application) enter all information required to complete an application for a fellowship or training program into the Fellowship Management System (FMS), once. However, they have the ability to update data if they apply to other fellowships or the same fellowship in subsequent years. The fellowship programs’ administrative staff collect the fellowship applications and monitor receipt of applications, annually, during each fellowship program’s application cycle.

In the currently approved FMS information collection, alumni (Attachment 2, FMS Directory) are encouraged to update their information every three years. Fellowship alumni associations and fellowship newsletters encourage alumni to participate by sending announcements and reminders that include a link to the alumni directory. For example, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) fellowship alumni association sends announcements and reminders to EIS alumni with a link to the EIS directory and fellowship newsletters and bulletin include reminders for alumni to keep information current with a link to the directory. The Scientific Education and Professional Development Program Office (SEPDPO) administrative staff monitor the alumni directory several times each year to determine the completion rate.

In this request for FMS revision (Attachment 3, FMS Host Site Assignment Proposal), employees of public health agencies or organizations will enter into FMS all information required to complete a host site assignment proposal to host a fellow only once. However, they will have the ability to update data if they submit assignment proposals to other fellowship programs, or to the same fellowship again in subsequent years. The fellowship programs encourage potential host sites to submit their proposal applications through their “call for assignment proposals” published on the CDC fellowship websites. A link to submit an assignment proposal will be included on the CDC fellowship programs’ websites. The fellowship programs’ administrative staff will collect the assignment proposals and monitor receipt of assignment proposals, annually, prior the beginning of a fellowship program’s application cycle.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Non-response

Response rates for applications are dependent upon interest in applying for a CDC fellowship as described in this FMS ICR. Candidates must submit a complete application to be considered for any fellowship program.

Participation in the alumni directory is voluntary and respondents will be encouraged to participate. Fellowship alumni associations and fellowship newsletters remind and encourage alumni to participate. In addition, fellowship alumni associations send announcements and reminders (which include a link to their fellowship directory) to alumni to keep their information current in the directory. SEPDPO administrative staff monitors the directory several times each year to determine the rate of completion. Participation provides alumni the opportunity to maintain professional networks for finding jobs, staffing jobs, and collaborating and interacting with fellow alumni. Alumni value networks and relationships they established during their fellowships. Participation allows CDC to maintain current information on alumni to call upon them when necessary, to assist in responses to national public health emergencies or urgent public health needs.

In this FMS revision, response rates for public health agencies or organizations will be dependent upon interest in hosting and training a fellow, as described in this information collection request. Respondents representing public health agencies or organizations requesting a fellow must submit a complete assignment proposal for the requesting agency or organization to be considered by any fellowship program as a host assignment.

4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

Prior to submitting the initial FMS OMB ICR in 2007, an initial pilot was conducted with CDC employees to refine questions, minimize burden, and to improve FMS usability. Following the initial pilot, a second pilot was conducted with CDC employees and nine non-federal employees from the target audience to determine how long it would take to complete the fellowship application and directory. The pilot test results provided the numbers used in the initial burden tables. Upon receiving OMB approval, those numbers were tested and validated with actual applicants and alumni. No further pilot testing was conducted as the information requested has not changed.

In 2011, prior to submission of this revision request, a pilot of the new information collection was conducted with CDC employees inputting assignment proposal data into the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) host site assignment proposal. The Host Site Assignment Proposal information collection will not be deployed outside CDC until after receipt of OMB clearance.

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

No statistical analysis will be conducted.

Individuals who will collect the information and data include the following:

Staff from each fellowship program collects the information and compiles it for inclusion in reports documenting fellowship progress and performance.

Individuals who will (be consulted and) perform analysis include the following:

No analysis is conducted.