ASPH has once again teamed up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to offer a new fellowship position at DOT/NHTSA headquarters in Washington, DC. The ASPH/NHTSA Public Health Fellow should be an early-career public health professional with interest in injury prevention and behavioral research, and will be based in NHTSA’s Office of Behavioral Safety Research, located at DOT headquarters.

The office has national responsibility for conducting applied research and evaluations of national, state and local traffic safety programs; conducting behavioral research on the role of driver factors in crash avoidance; and identifying strategies for reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries. The office conducts research and evaluation on a number of traffic safety issues including alcohol- and drug-impaired driving; safety belts and child restraint devices; speeding and aggressive driving; pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle safety; traffic safety for older adults and novice drivers; driver licensing and education; emergency medical services; distracted and drowsy driving; and international road safety issues. The research and development programs conducted by the office employ behavioral science, public health and human factors theories and accepted research practices to increase safe driving and to reduce injuries and death resulting from vehicle crashes.

The ASPH/NHTSA Fellowship Program is a prestigious opportunity for an interested public health graduate with good research and analytic skills who is dedicated to reducing the economic impact of traffic injuries in the United States. The selected fellow will have an opportunity to take a first-hand look at the workings of the federal agency dedicated to reducing motor vehicle crashes and become involved in NHTSA’s role in addressing motor vehicle and highway safety.

The Fellowship position is a full-time opportunity for a one year period (September 2009–August 2010). Fellowship may be extended for an additional year, pending available funding and mutual agreement by the fellow, NHTSA and ASPH.

The program is open to recent graduates with a Masters or Doctoral degree from an ASPH-member (CEPH-accredited) graduate school of public health. Applicants must have received their degree within the last five years. To view a complete list of ASPH member schools, please visit www.asph.org. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. (i.e., have a "Green Card").

The deadline for applications is Monday, May 4.

Applications must be submitted online via the ASPH Training Programs Online Application System at www.asph.org/FIapplications/positionList1.cfm. The online application is also accessible through the ASPH web site at www.asph.org.

Please direct all questions about the program to TrainingPrograms@asph.org.