The purpose of the fellowship is to enhance training of future public health professionals. This fellowship provides Fellows an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in international public health and will ultimately expand the HIV/AIDS workforce.

CDC Vietnam provides direct funding, management and technical support to the government of Vietnam and non-government organizations through cooperative agreements. Through these funding mechanisms CDC GAP Vietnam works closely with the partners to develop, implement and evaluate comprehensive and integrated HIV prevention, care and treatment programs.

The ASPH Fellows will continue the work of previous Fellows, serving as a primary point of contact for several cooperative agreements, monitoring progress, assuring grantee submission of routine and ad hoc budgeting, reporting, etc. In addition the Fellow will provide overall support to the CDC Vietnam Program Management Unit, coordinating across CDC Vietnam technical and administrative staff, government of Vietnam and other stakeholders. Finally, the Fellow will support other initiatives as needed, including providing support to the development of the annual Country Operational Plan.

The budget for the fellowship will continue to remain steady as these funds are determined by CDC Atlanta and ASPH at the headquarters level for Fellows placed in all countries.

Each Fellow is required to submit a Reporting and Evaluation plan at the beginning of each fellowship year and to report on each goal and objective quarterly. Furthermore, the mentors are required to do a performance review each year for the Fellows in order to give feedback and determine direction for the next year or the next Fellow.

The Association of Schools of Public Health cooperative agreement funds two ASPH Fellows at CDC one in the Hanoi office and another in the HCMC office. The scope of work includes strengthening and institutionalizing GVN partners capacity to collect, track and retrieve data (management focus), partner tracking and accountability, monitoring reports, improving quality of data, including ongoing coaching and mentoring. Fellows also assist in capacity building for central and provincial staff on financial planning for program implementation, with increasing focus on sustainability. Fellows monitor funding allocations and assist technical working groups plan for long-term sustainability. Fellows also serve as Coordinator for the Fogarty Fellows program (M&E focus), and on the interview panel for Fellow selection. They are also the principal point of contact between CDC technical teams and GVN partners across all technical program areas, ensuring continuity between partner workplans and PEPFAR core principles.

ASPH Fellows in both the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh offices contribute to HSS in several ways. First, Fellows contribute to leadership and governance of country partners by aiding in the development of new policies for future PEPFAR partners. They also assist in the development of management tools to be used with partners to ensure accountability of USG funds. Fellows also assist in strengthening financing mechanisms of partners as they coordinate the development of budgets, playing an integral role in the design, approval, and implementation stage focusing on aligning budgets with long-term PEPFAR strategies. They also help partners apply cost-saving principles to their budgets. Fellows contribute to the development of long-term sustainability plans with country partners, and coordinate and facilitate the mobilization of funds to support redirections and additional activities that are crucial to program success. Second, Fellows contribute directly to HRH by providing technical assistance in management of USG funded programs. Third, Fellows promote human capacity development of Vietnamese partners by developing management software for partners, promoting report writing and language skills, and mentoring partners.