The COVID-19 pandemic revealed critical needs and areas to improve infection control in both healthcare and community settings. In addition to emerging infectious diseases, ongoing outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) also highlight these needs. HAIs are among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States. AR is also a major public health threat which compounds the challenge of HAIs. NACCHO recognizes the growing local health department role in HAI prevention and response and that addressing the burden of HAI and AR will require improvements in infection control expertise, infrastructure, and practice. These challenges demonstrate the urgency of the situation as well as opportunities for local health departments to work with healthcare facilities to improve infection prevention, control, and outbreak response.

To increase the capacity of local health departments in infection prevention and control, NACCHO, in partnership with CDC, is offering a scholarship opportunity for up to 35 local health departments to support their staff in obtaining Certification in Infection Control (CIC) or a-IPC (Associate – Infection Prevention and Control) entry-level certification. More information about the exam, including eligibility requirements and guidelines for taking the exam, can be found on the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.’s (CBIC®) website.

Scholarship recipients will be reimbursed up to $2,500 for exam fees and study materials (including books, membership fees, and/or training courses). Staff must register for the exam, and all reimbursable expenses must be incurred by June 30, 2023 (the exam itself can be taken after this date, but needs to be within 90 days of CBIC confirmation of eligibility). For LHDs planning to purchase exam registrations for more than 3 staff, additional funding can be requested to cover those registration costs. Scholarship recipients will be expected to provide feedback on the certification process and demonstrate the impact of certification to NACCHO to inform future project activities supporting local health departments in infection prevention and control.

Interested in participating? Apply Here: Application for Certification in Infection Control Scholarship after reviewing the full application here.

Important Dates

• Request for application opens: Monday, January 9, 2023.
• Application submission deadline: Friday, December January 27, 2023.
• Anticipated award notification: NACCHO will share notice of award with applicants on a rolling basis as applications are submitted. The latest NACCHO will share award notifications is Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
• End of Project Period: Friday, June 30, 2023.

Questions?

For more information or questions, please email NACCHO at [email protected] and check this webpage for a regularly updated FAQ document.

To learn more about NACCHO’s HAI/AR work, visit this webpage.