Career Pathways Participation
A visual overview of the Career Pathways programs by the numbers. The dashboard is at the bottom of the page.
Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory ScienceFellowship Overview
The Public Health Laboratory Fellowship Program: an APHL-CDC Initiative prepares scientists for careers in public health laboratory science.
Questions?
Contact the Fellowship Team: [email protected]
What You Need to Know
Your Fellowship Journey
Fellowship Application Update
(October 1, 2026) APHL’s current funding agreement ends June 30, 2027 and we are actively seeking additional funding. This information is what we know as of October 1. APHL will offer up to 20 new fellowships beginning July 1, 2027 for applicants with a master's degree or higher. These fellowships will focus on vector-borne diseases, bioinformatics and genomic epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance and tuberculosis. Applications for host laboratories will open in November for fellowships beginning July 1, 2027. Applications for fellows will open in January 2027.
APHL will provide another funding update when we have more information or by December 16, whichever comes first. Please contact [email protected] should you have any questions.
About The Fellowship Program
Building a Robust Laboratory Workforce
APHL and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partner to offer a variety of laboratory fellowship programs to train and prepare scientists for careers in public health laboratories, via the Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science Program. The program is open to US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled at an accredited institution and in pursuit of a relevant certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree. The primary goal of the program is to increase the public health laboratory workforce through hands-on programs for students, support for early-career and experienced professionals, and opportunities for networking and leadership development.
Fellowships support a wide spectrum of public health laboratory program areas. Each fellow will be trained in alignment with established public health laboratory core competencies and will work on unique program-specific projects and other initiatives at host laboratories.
Fellows will work on projects specific to a laboratory science focus area that will support public health, One Health and other initiatives. Below are examples of the different focus areas fellows could be matched with and placed into:
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- Biorisk Management
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Environmental Health
- Food Safety
- Infectious Disease
- Informatics
- Laboratory Operations and Support Services
- Quality Management
- Radiochemistry
- Newborn Screening
The Fellowship Program offers a minimum one-year laboratory placement under the guidance of a mentor from the host laboratory.
Fellowship Handbook
A complete guide to the Fellowship Program.
Fellowship Program Handbook - March 2026
Fellowship Program FAQs
Have more questions? Visit our Fellowships FAQs page to for answers to questions ranging from how to manage the application process to payroll and tax liability information.
Fellowship Program FAQs
Information for Current Fellows
Find resources and information essential to completing your fellowship, such as curriculum requirements, report templates, guidelines and communications.
Access Your Resources
Program Alumni Opportunities
Many former fellows have found permanent positions at their host laboratories fellowship alumni enjoy access to the network of fellows, mentors and wider public health laboratory community.