Key points
- Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats (FLIGHT) is a program to address global public health threats.
- FLIGHT officers get experience-based training and are recent graduates of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS).
Overview
Scientific leadership is crucial to public health and CDC’s mission in driving actions to improve global health security and domestic preparedness.
CDC recruits, develops, and retains clinical health professionals who can lead multidisciplinary scientific teams that address infectious disease threats. In doing so, CDC is able to continue successfully delivering programs with demonstrated public health impact.
Impact
Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats (FLIGHT) launched in 2019 as a three-year program. Fellows, called FLIGHT officers, gain the skills to be effective leaders as they address global public health threats. Officers translate public health science and research into successful infectious disease programs with global applications.
The FLIGHT program combines detailed teaching and experience-based training to meet performance and public health service requirements. This includes:
- Skill assessment
- Educational seminars
- Professional coaching
- Global rotations
- Programmatic work
- Leadership networking
FLIGHT officers are selected from recent graduating classes of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). This includes physicians, veterinarians, doctoral scientists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Eligible candidates must be US citizens. Candidates with clinical qualifications must also have an unrestricted license to practice their clinical specialty.