CDC Internship in Industrial Robotic Standards Analysis and Harmonization
CDC Office and Location: A health research opportunity is available at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the major operation components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.
Research Project: This project seeks to develop a framework for understanding this fragmented standards landscape and ultimately produce a guide for improving public and professional understanding of robotics industry standards.
The field of industrial robotics is expanding and evolving at an incredible pace. Keeping up with the latest developments in industry products and practices can be difficult for even the most tuned-in individual. Contrarily, attempts to establish best practices and safety standards for robotics solutions often lag behind the rate of change. When new advancements in emerging technologies such as robotics are developed and adopted, it creates a gap in industry consensus regarding operating procedures, equipment, and facilities. This gap is often filled in an ad-hoc and duplicative manner. This approach has resulted in an extremely fragmented and confusing landscape of standards.
The project involves identifying, collecting, and analyzing the various industrial standards that cover topics associated with robotic, and similarly automated, systems.
Participant will collaborate with NIOSH researchers to identify industrial robotics standards, analyze information within, and construct a framework for industry and non-industry professionals to understand the regulatory landscape within an occupational safety and health context.
Learning Objectives: Participant will gain experience conducting research within the NIOSH research structure and presenting findings to fellow students and NIOSH researchers.
Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity is Christopher Wendt (cwendt@cdc.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 23, 2023. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.CDC.NIOSH@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing one of the degrees with completion before May 1, 2026. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in scientific writing, scientific literature search, information analysis, information gathering, web search, computer software Word and Excel are favorable.
- Experience with robotics, automated systems, engineering, computer science, health policy, industrial hygiene, and occupational health and safety would be useful to the project but not necessary.