Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement Fellowship

The Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement (Ferguson RISE) Graduate Fellowship Program is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded program designed to support public health research and professional development in infectious diseases and promote health. The fellowship focuses on increasing knowledge and interest in public health research careers among graduate students. The optimal format for the public health research experiences is in-person; however, hybrid and virtual options are available.

Ferguson RISE Fellows complete mentored research experiences at sites across the nation. Ferguson RISE Fellowship's partnering institutions include: the CDC, Howard University, Kennedy Krieger (lead agency), Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Morehouse School of Medicine, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and Olive View-UCLA Education & Research Institute. Each year, we invite new collaborations with other universities and state public health departments where fellows may be placed. Focal research areas include Advanced Molecular Detection techniques and Wastewater Surveillance.

Beginning in 2026, the Ferguson RISE Fellowship and the Olive View-UCLA Education & Research Institute will co-sponsor the 12-month Ferguson RISE - EMERGEncy ID Net, offered to early-career physicians. The goal of the fellowship is to perpetuate the UCLA Emergency Department’s legacy in bridging emergency medicine and public health.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a US citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident.
• Summer program applicants are required to be enrolled as a full-time graduate student in one of the following graduate programs for the duration of the fellowship: medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, public health, allied health, social sciences or a related program (e.g., biomedical sciences, microbiology, physics, chemistry, etc.).
• 12-month Ferguson RISE Fellowship applicants are required to meet one of the following eligibility criteria:
• Completed one of the following graduate programs within the 12 months preceding the fellowship start date: medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, public health, allied health, social sciences or a related program (e.g., biomedical sciences, microbiology, physics, chemistry, etc.) OR
• Doctoral candidate in one of the graduate programs above who has completed all graduate requirements (coursework, preliminary exams, research proposal) except for the dissertation (i.e., all but dissertation).
• The Ferguson RISE Fellowship is for talented graduate scholars with at least a 3.0 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale.
• Applicants must be able to commit to participating in program activities full-time for the length of the Ferguson RISE Fellowship. Some program activities require in-person attendance.