Graduate Student Epidemiology Program

The Graduate Student Epidemiology Program (GSEP) is a Maternal and Child Health leadership program and internship opportunity with state/territory/tribal/local health departments. GSEP is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has been around since 1997.  The program has trained over 400 students. After a four-year hiatus from 2017 to 2020, 62 students across three Summer cohorts have participated in the program since it relaunched in 2021.  The application process, orientation, and 10-week summer internship experience are led by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Students will receive a $9,300 stipend provided by AMCHP. 

GSEP 2024 will be a full-time, 40 hour per week remote experience with (or in very close partnership with) state/territory/tribal/local health departments requiring no relocation. While the internship will be remote, student interns will have the opportunity for optional in-person site visits during the first three weeks of their internships, with travel and lodging covered by AMCHP. The virtual experience creates an opportunity for a more inclusive program, ensuring that students who might have been unable to relocate for the summer due to expense or commitment will be able to participate. Remote work also expands the list of possible host sites that may have been limited due to location or cost of living (e.g., those in Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Territories, or Freely Associated States).  

GSEP Goals and Objectives

Graphic illustrating the different elements that make up Competence.AMCHP is committed to cultivating interest in the broad array of MCH careers and building the knowledge, skills, and abilities of practicing professionals to address current and future challenges – all while experiencing desired leadership growth and fulfillment in the context of this critical work. 

Consistent with HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Leadership Competencies, Version 4.5, GSEP strives to do the following within the context of MCH epidemiology: 

  1. Ensure interns have the foundation necessary to work within various professional settings to contribute to the health and well-being of our nation’s women, children, youth, and families and inspire others to do likewise.
  2. Develop advanced abilities in customizing health systems for equitable service delivery, integrating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility across domains, using data-driven tools for health equity prioritizing clear and accessible language for data presentation. 
  3. Provide leadership training and use the MCH Leadership Competencies to guide the measurement and evaluation of MCH leadership training’s strength.
  4. Cultivate, sustain, and grow intern connections with current MCH professionals in national, state, and local health agencies, academia, and other MCH organizations. Students and site supervisors should create opportunities across the 12 MCH Leadership competencies.

Intern Eligibility

Only current graduate students or recent graduates (Fall/Winter 2023) with at least one year of completed coursework and a strong, demonstrated interest in maternal and child health epidemiology are eligible to apply.

To qualify for this program, interns must be one of the following: 

  1. A citizen of the United States: A person born in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands; a person born outside of the U.S. to at least one U.S. parent; or naturalized citizen; 
  2. A non-citizen national: A person born in an outlying possession of the U.S. (e.g., American Samoa or Swain’s Island) on or after the date the U.S. acquired the possession, or a person whose parents are U.S. non-citizen nationals. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals; however, not every U.S. national is a U.S. citizen; or 
  3. A permanent resident of the United States: A person who possesses a Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”).

If you do not meet the criteria outlined above, unfortunately, you do not qualify for this program at this time. For example, individuals with an F-1 student visa are not eligible. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding your eligibility, you can refer to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for more information. 

Information for Interested Students

Discover additional details about past host sites and access the complete program timeline: 

Interested in applying?

First, review the GSEP Intern General Job Description. 

We’re looking for currently enrolled graduate students with a strong, demonstrated interest in epidemiology and maternal and child health (inclusive of youth with special health care needs). You will need: 

  1. A complete Student Profile
  2. A complete Student Application.
  3. One (1) letter of recommendation.

The 2024 GSEP Student Application period is now closed. Check back in December 2024 for more information about the 2025 application timeline.

Learn more 

Information for Interested Host Sites

What kind of host sites are we looking for?

First, review the GSEP Host Site Supervisor General Job Description

We are looking for sites that can provide meaningful internship experiences for graduate students and share AMCHP’s values of leadership, collaboration, health equity and social justice, inclusion, integrity, excellence, and stewardship. We encourage many types of MCH programs to apply, including those housed at: 

  1. State/jurisdiction, Native American or indigenous, and local health departments. 
  2. Non-profit organizations working in partnership with Title V MCH or CYSHCN programs or in support of established Title V priorities. 
  3. University departments receiving funds from a Title V MCH or CYSHCN program aimed at advancing established priorities. 

Read more about host site expectations Preview the 2024 host site application questions  Host sites will also need to create a host site profile; preview those questions  

Application deadline update! 2024 GSEP host site applications will open on January 10, 2024 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Questions? Please contact Candice Simon (csimon@amchp.org). 

Learn More 

Apply Now

Not sure about how to format your application? Check out these examples of successful past project applications.

2024 Special Call for Adolescent and Young Adult Host Site Projects

For the Summer 2024 cohort, AMCHP is doing a special call for up to five (5) GSEP proposals that directly address adolescent and young adult health (AYAH) priorities. These proposals will be submitted through the standard application process and are required to meet established criteria for epidemiological soundness, equity, potential to facilitate leadership and career development, etc. but will be reviewed by AMCHP staff and GSEP Steering Committee members with relevant subject matter expertise. Such individuals will also be available to provide technical assistance to accepted and matched host sites during project implementation. Interns working on these projects will be assigned to the same small peer group to facilitate shared learning and professional networking. For these project applications, we strongly recommend proposal a supervisory team that includes both an epidemiologist/data specialist and the State Adolescent Health Coordinator (SAHC) or related program staff.  

What’s our why? We are actively seeking host sites to place graduate students, with a primary focus on adolescent health, to gain a comprehensive understanding of preventive and mental health care for this demographic. The current landscape of AYAH programming and funding is everchanging, and these placements are designed to provide support and stability to AYAH initiatives grounded in data collection, analysis, and management across diverse contexts, including clinical care systems, educational settings, and home environments. By supporting projects that have an intentional focus on AYAH and inclusion of youth voices, we are aiming to increase jurisdictions’ ability to apply scientific evidence at agencies, ultimately advancing adolescent and young adult health priorities. This comprehensive approach aligns with our commitment to fostering a more inclusive and informed understanding of the unique challenges faced by adolescents in various settings. 

Contact

For questions about the GSEP student application and experience, please contact Mikayla Frye (mfrye@amchp.org ). For questions about the GSEP host site application and experience, please contact Candice Simon (csimon@amchp.org). 

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U01MC0001 – Partnership for State Title V MCH Leadership Community Cooperative Agreement ($1,738,864). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. government.