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Requesting a Lab-Aid

What Lab-Aid is

A Lab-Aid is a mechanism for providing rapid, short-term (up to 3 weeks) support to state, territorial, local, tribal, and federal public health labs for critical laboratory testing or operational needs. A Lab-Aid provides on-site or remote technical assistance by trained Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) fellows and appropriate ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø subject matter experts.

Activities LLS fellows can perform during a Lab-Aid

During a Lab-Aid, an LLS fellow takes a leadership role, supported by a ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø subject matter expert, to address an urgent public health concern. A Lab-Aid may involve:

• Conducting lab safety risk assessments.
• Advising on lab quality issues or systems to help improve the reliability and reproducibility of lab data.
• Standing up or strengthening the lab component of a surveillance program.
• Assisting with bioinformatics or advanced molecular detection (AMD) workflows or analyses.
• Providing lab expertise or assistance for outbreak investigations.
• Capacity building or laboratory operations support.

Who participates

A Lab-Aid team includes at least one LLS fellow and one or more ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø laboratory subject matter experts based on the laboratory’s needs. The Lab-Aid team collaborates closely with the staff of the public health laboratory requesting assistance. The requesting public health laboratory provides overall leadership for the Lab-Aid while the Lab-Aid team provides technical assistance.

Who can request a Lab-Aid

A Lab-Aid must be requested by the director of a public health laboratory.

The role of the requesting public health laboratory

The public health laboratory requesting the Lab-Aid provides overall leadership of the assistance while benefitting from a collaborative relationship with the Lab-Aid team. The public health laboratory generally retains custody and control over all data collected as part of the association. After the Lab-Aid is completed, the public health laboratory can request ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s continued collaboration and assistance in:

• Data analysis.
• Report writing.
• Presentation preparation.
• Additional programmatic technical assistance.

How a public health laboratory can request a Lab-Aid

1. Contact the LLS program ([email protected]) or a collaborating ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø subject matter expert to discuss Lab-Aid needs. LLS welcomes the opportunity to discuss the needs not listed here.
2. The requsting laboratory or jurisdiction sends a letter of invitation to the LLS program ([email protected]).
3. The LLS program identifies available fellow and ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø subject matter expert availability before approving the Lab-Aid.
4. The LLS program approves the Lab-Aid.

How Lab-Aids benefit public health

A Lab-Aid benefits public health in several ways. Lab-Aids can:

• Streamline access to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø subject matter experts and laboratory resources.
• Increase the technical capacity and workforce available for rapid laboratory response.
• Build capacity for laboratory safety and quality through collaboration.
• Enhance relationships between ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and public health laboratories.

The difference between a Lab-Aid and an Epi-Aid

A Lab-Aid focuses on addressing public health laboratory needs and is not limited to urgent public health responses, such as outbreak investigations.

An Epi-Aid provides rapid, short-term epidemiologic assistance by EIS officers for response to an urgent public health problem. LLS fellows provide laboratory support for some Epi-Aids, as needed.

Request LLS service

LLS fellows provide laboratory expertise and support to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, state, tribal, local, and territorial public health laboratories, and other public health partners. Click on one of the links below to request assistance.

Urgent assistance (Lab-Aid)
Find short-term laboratory assistance.

Presentation request
Request a speaker or presentation.

Media requests
Request interviews and information for news media stories.

Contact us
Speak with an LLS fellow, alumni, or request program information.