Public Health Entomology for All

What to know

  • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø partners with the Entomological Society of America to offer the Public Health Entomology for All internship and fellowship program.
  • Interns participate in a 10-week program, while fellows participate in a 1-year program.
Illustration of 16 people with bubbles containing a mosquito, a tick, and a flea. Text reads "PHEFA, Public Health Entomology for All Internship/Fellowship Program."

Overview

About the program

The mission of the Public Health Entomology for All (PHEFA) internship and fellowship program is to encourage students and recent graduates to pursue public health entomology as a career.

The program includes 10-week internships and 1-year fellowship programs and is a partnership between ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) and the (ESA).

PHEFA participants fill mosquito traps with water for field research in Puerto Rico.
PHEFA participants fill mosquito traps with water for field research in Puerto Rico.

Key program activities

  • Assign each participant ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and ESA mentors
  • Train participants in entomology laboratory and field skills in five core areas:
    • Colony maintenance
    • Vector collection methods
    • Vector-borne disease research
    • Mosquito and tick taxonomy
    • Vector biology and control
  • Create a sense of community and belonging among ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø staff, ESA, and program participants
  • Promote networking among current and future entomologists

About internships

Internships last 10 weeks. Interns will learn new entomology skills through activities like:

  • Identifying mosquito and tick specimens by using taxonomic and scientific keys
  • Learning and refining laboratory skills
  • Networking with entomology professionals at universities, state health departments, and local vector control organizations
  • Rearing mosquitoes
  • Setting up and taking down mosquito traps, or collecting ticks in local parks
  • Testing mosquitoes for insecticide resistance

About fellowships

Fellowships last 1 year. Fellows have an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of medical entomology through activities like:

  • Testing Ixodes species ticks submitted by states
  • Conducting research on anti-tick vaccines
  • Studying Aedes aegypti insecticide resistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Responding to vector-borne disease outbreaks like dengue and Oropouche viruses

Join the program

PHEFA is an exciting opportunity! Applications for 2025 opened on December 15, 2024.

Key dates:

  • December 15, 2024: Applications open
  • February 14, 2025: Applications will close
  • March 2025: Interviews held and offers made
  • May 28–30, 2025: Program orientation (required for all participants)

Application information

Please visit for more information about the program and how to apply.

A DVBD Public Health Entomology for All intern looks into a microscope in a laboratory.
A PHEFA fellow conducts research in a DVBD laboratory.
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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)