Strategic Scholars Program

About the Strategic Scholars Program

The Strategic Scholars Program, a program developed and implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), uses a community of practice cohort model and multiple learning modalities to build governmental public health workforce capacity in eight strategic skill areas., as well as across the eight core competencies’ domains. The program will launch its fifth cohort in April 2022; selected Public Health Scholars will have the opportunity to build their skills in Resource Management, specifically in the areas of fiscal management. This is the third offering of the Strategic Scholars Program that focuses on the resource management skill area. Read more about previous team experiences in this NNPHI story and CDC Field Notes.

According to the de Beaumont Foundation’s Adapting and Aligning Public Health Strategic Skills, Resource Management is “a process through which current and future resources (including finances, staff, individuals with technical or subject expertise, technology, equipment, and any other component integral to organizational or programmatic operations) are strategically and efficiently allocated and deployed to the degree appropriate to achieve organizational and systems-level success and minimize waste.” The revised Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (2021) also provide increased attention to finance and management skills. With the unprecedented infusion of fiscal resources to public health as a part of COVID-19 response and recovery, health departments’ needs are greater than ever to manage human and financial resources responsibly and skillfully.

How will it benefit public health departments and the communities that they serve?

Upon completion of the program, Scholars will be able to:

• Identify strategies for understanding the true nature of public health problems
• Develop a program budget and narrative
• Procure services to help achieve programmatic goals
• Execute and manage contracts
• Assess the financial health of individual programs and their relevance to an agency’s overall financial health

Additionally, Scholars will have the opportunity to:

• Apply their new skills in their current settings through the completion of a culminating experience project and individualized coaching.
• Engage and develop relationships with peers from health departments across the country to explore new ideas and concepts

What are the components of the program?

To build skills in resource management, over the course of six months, scholars will:

• Complete the self-paced online learning Building Expertise in Administration and Management (BEAM) Certificate Program
• Participate in four (4) virtual live learning sessions via video conference
• Attend the Public Health Improvement Training (PHIT) virtually on June 6-8, 2022 (registration is covered as a part of this program)
• Attend at least one of the recommended PHIT workshops that relate to the resource management topic (Strategic Scholars will be provided with recommendations once the agenda is finalized)
• Work one-on-one with a coach on a skill application project via three (3) video conference sessions to address a project or issue related to resource management in the work setting
• Present their work as a team during the Skill Application Showcase and Commencement Celebration

Who is Eligible?

The Strategic Scholars program is a competitive application process open to personnel working in state, tribal, territorial, or local health departments. To participate, applicants must apply as a team with a minimum of two (2) and up to five (5) participants, with a combination of the following roles:

• Administration (e.g., Finance Officer, Human Resources Director, Grants Officer/Administrator)
• Performance Improvement (e.g., Accreditation Coordinator, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Performance Manager, Workforce Development Coordinator, Community Health Improvement Coordinator)
• Senior Leadership (e.g., Health Director, Senior Official) and mid-level managers.

This team approach is necessary to strengthen the programmatic and financial relationships within the public health organization and to provide opportunities for learning across disciplines via the coaching component of the program.

What is included in the program?

Over the course of seven (7) months, scholars will be engaged in approximately fifteen to twenty (15-20) hours of self-paced online learning, three (3) facilitated live learning video conferences, three (3) virtual coaching sessions, and attend the virtual Public Health Improvement Training (PHIT). Scholars will be required to attend all scheduled virtual sessions, complete their coaching and accompanying skill application project, and attend PHIT.

How are Scholars supported?

To support scholars in achieving maximum results from this program, scholars will work with a coach with subject matter expertise in governmental and/or non-profit business administration, with a focus on program, grants, and contract management. The role of the coach is to:

1. Provide subject matter expertise to enhance the online learning sessions via virtual live learning sessions. These live learning sessions will engage scholars in facilitated discussions regarding the content.
2. Support scholar teams throughout the skill application project where scholars will apply their new skills to their current work.
3. Serve as a resource to scholars throughout the program.

How can I apply?

Interested teams can apply through this form by April 20 at 5:00 pm ET.

How can I find out more information?

Please email Meghan Wolfe, Program Manager, National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training at mwolfe@nnphi.org with any questions regarding the Strategic Scholars Program or application process.

Key Dates

Have Questions or Want to Learn More?

Find our helpful Q&A here.

Please email Meghan Wolfe, Program Manager, National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training at mwolfe@nnphi.org with any questions regarding the Strategic Scholars Program or application process.

Funding for this project has been provided to the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) through a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC OT18-1802). NNPHI is collaborating with the CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support on this project. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention