Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sustains numerous institutional and individual linkages with academic organizations throughout the world. These activities are predominately administered through the system of CDC-supported research centers and through the Public Health Practice Program Office.

CDC Research Centers

• Injury Control Research Centers
  This program is CDC's largest national extramural investment in injury control research and training, intervention development, and evaluation. The 9 Centers are scientifically-based units established within academic institutions through the cooperative agreement mechanism under the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Atlanta. The FY97 budget for this program was $6.1 million.

• Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Research Centers
  This national network of 14 academic centers for applied research focuses on the behaviors that put Americans at risk for chronic health conditions. Under a cooperative agreement within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the number of Centers increased from three in 1986 to 14 in 1996. CDC provided core funding of $16 million in FY97. The Program currently collaborates with the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In addition, two centers are assisting local Indian Health Service administrative offices and their respective tribal entities in developing and evaluating of various prevention strategies.

Activities of the Public Health Practice Program Office

• Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) Cooperative Agreement.
  This project is administered by the Public Health Practice Program Office (PHPPO) to coordinate research, training, and special projects involving CDC organizations and members of the ASPH. In FY97 $12.7 million was devoted to this program, which began in 1981 with a $345,000 allotment. The CDC Public Health Training Network and the Public Health System Fellowship program were among the most significant program elements. In addition, ASPH interns spend summers at various CDC locations, representing all regions of the United States.

• Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine (ATPM) Cooperative Agreement
  This program also supports a fellowship program for Preventive Medicine specialists at CDC as well as disease prevention and health promotion programs, training, and epidemiologic investigations. During FY97 $6.5 million was devoted to strengthening linkages between academia and CDC.

• Leadership training
  The Division of Public Health Systems of PHPPO has supported the National Public Health Leadership Institute, administered through the University of California, since 1992. State and Regional Leadership Development Programs are supported in academic institutions in several areas, targeting health department professionals, community leaders, academics, and other health officials. State/regional leadership programs are currently available or being developed in 21 states.

• Academic Programs
  PHPPO sponsors numerous conferences and educational projects in support of academic program development, including those of the ASPH, ATPM, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Minority Health Professions Foundation. The 1998 Partnering Meeting was held on March 3-5 in Atlanta. This year's agenda is focused on prevention research. CDC along with ASPH, ATPM, and the Minority Health Professions Foundation sponsored this meeting.
  
  In addition, PHPPO assigns CDC personnel as liaisons to schools of public health around the country to develop practice links and to support collaborative research. PHPPO presents a wide array of training courses in epidemiology and biostatistics.

SIDEBAR
A partial listing of CDC Public Health Practice Program Office course offerings in epidemiology and biostatistics during FY ’97:

• The 30 hour course "Fundamentals of Biostatistics to 50 students in the Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program.

• The 45 hour course "Fundamentals of Biostatistics" for 60 graduate students at the University of Michigan School of Public Health Summer Session in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

• The one week course, "Applied Epidemiology and Public Health Practice" to 45 minority students in IMHOTEP and Summer Public Health Fellows Programs, in collaboration with the CDC Office of Minority Health, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Emory Rollins School of Public Health.

• Two 2-week courses "Epi in Action" each year to approximately 100 epidemiologists from state and local health departments.

• Two one-week courses on advanced epidemiology to approximately 60 epidemiologists from state and local health departments.

• The 5-week course on epidemiology and biostatistics to 25 physician epidemiologists from China, in collaboration with CDC's Polio Eradication Program.

• A 4-week course on epidemiology and biostatistics to 12 physician epidemiologists from Japan.

• Collaborated with the Medical College of Georgia in the teaching of epidemiology and biostatistics at that institution.