Sponsored Scholarships

At Applied Epi, our mission is to make high-quality epidemiology training accessible to everyone, including those in low-resource settings.

In addition to offering our Applied Epi Scholarships for teams in low- and middle-income countries, we actively seek funding from organisations and donors with the same goal. This funding enables us to provide even more access to our services to those who might not otherwise have the means to participate. Some scholarships may be tailored to specific regions or populations, and we’ll always advertise these opportunities as they become available.

If your organisation would like to become a sponsor, send us a message at contact@appliedepi.org.

Trainings for Low-Resource Settings in the USA

Sponsored by the US CDC

Applied Epi is accepting applications from January 20 to February 10, 2025 for sponsored R training provided by the US CDC. This opportunity is available to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) public health agencies or non-profit organisations delivering epidemiology services to rural, remote or low-resource jurisdictions. See the full eligibility requirements below.

Eligible teams gain access to free services, such as the Introduction to R for Applied Epidemiology course and the Support Desk. This initiative empowers teams who do not normally have access to R training to transition to or expand their use of R, enabling them to drive meaningful public health impact in their communities.

Funding Details

Funding for these US scholarships are provided to Applied Epi by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under award 1 NU38PW000001-01-00 (Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health).

Future opportunities: Additional R training opportunities will be offered over the next five years. Teams are welcome to apply for multiple cycles, or for future years, to train new members or advance to more specialised courses.

Eligibility

To be eligible for scholarship consideration, the application must meet all the following criteria:

• Team-Based* Application: The application must be submitted on behalf of a team of 1-15 people (e.g., branch, division, etc.).
• Applicant Organisation: The team must be either a State, Tribal, Local, or Territorial (STLT) government agency, or a non-profit organisation.
• Service Provision: The agency or organisation must be a primary provider of applied epidemiological services.
• Jurisdiction Requirements: The services must be provided to one of the following:
  • Rural Jurisdictions: The jurisdiction is considered rural by any federal definitions (e.g., NCHS, OMB).
  • US Territories: The jurisdiction is a US territory or freely associated state.
  • Federally-Recognized Tribes: Serves a federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native entity (including tribal-serving organizations, TECs, Urban Indian organizations, etc).
  • Low-Resource Jurisdiction: The STLT agency or organisation is otherwise low-resource and unable to afford R training.

Be sure to read the FAQs below for more detailed information about the scholarships and eligibility criteria!

Apply here

Applications will be open between January 20 and February 10, 2025.

Before you begin the application process, be sure to gather the following information:

• How your team is planning on transitioning to R.

• A brief description of each team member’s educational attainment, computer literacy, data management and analysis experience, and how they will be incorporating R into their regular tasks.

• What your team has done to look for other funding sources.

Once you have gathered all the above information, click here to start the application process. You will not be able to save and return to the form so be ready to complete the form in-full. Applications could take between 15-60 mins to complete, depending on team size. You can complete an offline version and then copy and paste the prepared responses into the application form.

If you are experiencing barriers to completing the online application, please contact us at scholarships@appliedepi.org and we will work with you to find a solution.

Next steps

If your team is chosen for the next step of the application process, your team leader will need to attend a 45-minute interview in mid-to-late February 2025. Recipients can enrol in any of the scheduled Intro to R courses. Larger teams (10 or more) may be able to schedule a private course. After completing the course, recipients will have access to the Support Desk for 1-on-1 video calls for help converting their workflows.

Contact us

Read all the FAQs and still have questions? Email us at scholarships@appliedepi.org.

FAQs

About the scholarship

What training services will be provided?

For January 2025, scholarship packages will include enrollment in our Introduction to R for Applied Epidemiology course (40 hours, virtual, live/synchronous), along with our Support Desk services.

When are the courses offered?

Teams offered a scholarship package can enroll their team members in their choice of Applied Epi’s public cohorts scheduled for 2025. Public cohorts begin approximately each month, running at various times (mornings, afternoons, and evenings in various time zones). The course is ten synchronous sessions of 3.5 hours which run twice per week for five weeks. Support Desk calls can be booked for any time, with 24 hours advance notice. For larger teams, private cohorts may be available with a custom schedule.

Is there any cost to participate?

No. This opportunity is fully sponsored by the US CDC which includes all included training and support services. There is no cost to apply.

Does the entire team have to enrol in the same course together?

No, this is entirely up to you. Consider the benefits of having participants learn together versus the need to maintain your team’s capacity to perform routine activities.

Are applications and courses available in Spanish?

For the January 2025 round of scholarship applications, both applications and courses are only available in English. Teams must be able to complete the course in English to be eligible. However, Applied Epi hopes to expand language options in the future, so be sure to check back during the next round.

Eligibility

Our team is not located in the United States, can we apply?

This opportunity, funded by the US CDC, is restricted to teams serving populations in the United States. Check to see if you qualify for an Applied Epi Scholarship for teams in low- and middle-income countries instead.

Why are only team applications accepted?

Applying as a team fosters collaboration and shared learning, making the transition to R smoother and more effective. This approach ensures consistent use of R, builds organisational resilience, and supports achieving public health or epidemiological goals.

I’m the only person who needs to learn R in my organisation. Can I still apply?

If you work for a small organisation and believe that you are the only person who needs to learn R, you can still apply as a team of one! The application process remains the same, requiring leadership support and a clear plan for transitioning to R.

Can I apply if I am associated with a trainee or fellowship programme?

Yes, staff, trainees or fellows of programmes, such as the EIS or CSTE, may apply as part of the government team they are placed within.

Can my team apply for a scholarship if we contribute, or want to contribute, towards public health but don’t work for a government agency or non-profit organisation?

These scholarships are tailored to support Applied Epi’s core audience—teams actively working in public health and applied epidemiology. The goal is to enhance disease control efforts in low-resource settings by equipping practitioners who directly impact applied epidemiology.

As such, scholarships are not likely to be awarded to students, academic teams, or those focused solely on clinical or research activities.

Can my team apply for a scholarship even if we don’t work in public health?

The scholarships are designed for those in applied epidemiology and public health, ensuring stronger in-system disease control in low-resource settings. Practitioners in these fields have the most impact on applied epidemiology, so other disciplines are not eligible.

My hospital is a non-profit orgniasation and does community health work, are we eligible?

We would encourage you to apply, and write about why your work has a direct impact on disease control.

I am on a veterinary health team that works with data, are we eligible?

If you work in One Health and can demonstrate the impact of your work on human health, we encourage you to apply.

Application

What are the timelines for the application process?

Applications for the Applied Epi scholarship are open from January 20 to February 10, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the screening results. The Point-of-Contact and Team Lead (these can be the same person) for teams advancing to the next stage will be invited to complete a 45-minute interview in mid-to-late February. Final decisions and notifications will be made by early March 2025.

We have multiple units in our organisation that work with data. Should we apply as one team or submit separate applications?

It is recommended to coordinate and submit one consolidated application on behalf of the relevant units within the organisation. Details of your situation can be provided. If further clarification is needed, additional discussion via email is available.

Why do we need to have a plan to start using R in order to apply for the scholarship?

It’s important to understand how R could benefit your team and what conversations have taken place with senior leadership about this transition. Teams that have considered their needs and discussed potential changes with leadership are often better prepared to integrate R into their workflows successfully. For teams without a plan, Applied Epi can help facilitate discussions with leadership to explore next steps, such as creating a detailed transition plan.

If our team is accepted, will all team members be included?

Not necessarily. Due to limited availability, the team may be offered fewer seats than requested. In such cases, the team composition will be discussed before finalising the participant list.

Can additional team members be added after receiving a scholarship package offer?

Additional personnel can be added by purchasing seats through Applied Epi’s private or public courses and Support Desk packages, which are available on our website.