The Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH) is pleased to announce 100 part time job opportunities for IUPUI students. FSPH will hire, train and manage contact tracers to track the spread of COVID-19 in Indianapolis through December 31.
In collaboration with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Dr. Virginia Caine of the Marion County Public Health Department, the Fairbanks School received $10.3 million to expand contact tracing in the city. The vast majority of this funding is to fund full and part-time people who will do contact tracing. In addition to hiring students, the school plans to fulfill these positions with a diverse group of tracers who speak a variety of languages and represent the wide array of cultures this city embraces. They aim to reduce the health disparities seen in our Indianapolis communities.
What is contact tracing?
When a person tests positive for the novel coronavirus, a trained contact tracer will begin communicating with the infected individual to begin the process of tracing everyone with whom they may have had close contact. Close contacts include those who were within 6 feet of the infected individual for at least 15 minutes. The tracking period begins after an individual has been exposed to an infected individual. Once everyone who may have had close contact with an infected individual has been identified, the contacts are informed of their potential exposure -- while maintaining the anonymity of the person who might have exposed them. The contact tracers will also help connect people infected with the virus to community resources such as food pantries, which might be needed to help quarantined individuals follow social-distancing guidelines.
How to apply
The Fairbanks School of Public Health will be recruiting both part- and full-time contact tracers. They encourage students to apply for the part-time positions available. Students will be performing on-the-ground field work interviewing cases and contacts in the Indianapolis neighborhoods. Tracers will be provided a phone and electronic equipment to collect the data captured.
The positions pay $15 per hour and there is a minimum of 15 hours per week and a maximum of 29 hours per week. No benefits accrue to these part-time positions and students must show evidence of health insurance coverage.
- All positions are posted on the Jobs at IU website.
- Email covidct@iupui.edu with all questions about contact tracing.
Thank you for sharing this opportunity with your students