The application for Cohort 2 of the Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI) will be posted on Monday, June 3, on https://www.cdcfoundation.org/request-for-proposals, and submissions will be due 11:59 PM PST Friday, June 28. The Cohort 2 application will be similar to the Cohort 1 application, except as noted below. To prepare today, consider reviewing the Cohort 1 application. We hope that by providing this notification, you can get a head start on application components that are more time-intensive, such as the letter of support from the head of your public health agency (or, if public health is a division of a larger health and human services agency, the head of your public health division).
We anticipate that the Cohort 2 application will differ from the Cohort 1 application in the following ways. Please do review the final Cohort 2 Request for Applications when it is released on June 3.
- Unlike Cohort 1, Cohort 2 will not require that applicants already have planned systems improvement project(s) on which the WAI placements would work. WAI placements might be assigned to a more general role or might be assigned to develop a project. Applications from agencies with planned systems improvement project(s) are welcome in Cohort 2 but having planned systems improvement project(s) will not be required.
- Unlike Cohort 1, Cohort 2 will not require that applicant have already have an individual overseeing information systems improvement to direct the work of the WAI placements. Cohort 2 applicants may request that such an individual be recruited as one of their requested WAI placements. Applications from agencies with an existing individual overseeing information systems improvement are welcome in Cohort 2, but having an existing individual overseeing information systems improvement will not be required.
- For clarity, specific questions in the Cohort 2 application may vary from those in the Cohort 1 application and some questions may be added. The general content requested from PHAs will be similar, along with the content of the required letter of support.
Cohort 1 applicants selected for Cohort 1 are not eligible to apply for Cohort 2. Cohort 1 applicants that were not selected are still eligible and encouraged to apply to Cohort 2.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Gelilawit Tamrat, Senior Program Analyst for Informatics at NACCHO, at gtamrat@naccho.org.
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Irene Halferty CHES, MSPH
Communication Specialist
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Washington DC
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