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William & Mary students will work alongside external conservation partners and with support from faculty to complete the following applied research projects as part of the year-long Conservation Research Program in 2026.
The Institute for Integrative Conservation matches W&M students and faculty with external conservation partners to conduct research designed to advance partner's conservation goals. The following projects will be supported through the year-long Conservation Research Program in 2026.
W&M students interested in applying for the 2026 Conservation Research Program should review the Program requirements and application instructions here.
To best match students with projects, we ask students to review all project descriptions below, select their top three projects and explain their fit for the projects in their application. Each description includes a brief overview of the project, the skills and pre-requisites needed, travel description, and tips.
AI-Powered Identification of Manatees for Conservation and Health Monitoring
Research Location: Florida
Conservation Partner: Mote Marine Laboratory
An Analysis of Revenue & Wealth Distribution Within Group and Community Conservancies in Kenya
Research Location: Kenya
Conservation Partner: Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA)
Co-Creating Soil Maps: A Participatory Approach to Strengthen Indigenous Agriculture in Ecuador
Research Location: Cotacachi and Puyo, Ecuador
Conservation Partner: Kinray Hub
Community Science to Support Climate Adaptation in Virginia
Research Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia
Conservation Partner: Wetlands Watch
Development of Inexpensive and DIY Water Sensors to Advance Community-Led Nature-Based Conservation Solutions
Research Location: Lake Aloatra, Madagascar and Williamsburg, Virginia
Conservation Partners: Conservation International Madagascar and the Moore Center for Science
Exploring Community-led Mitigation Strategies to Prevent Carnivore-Herder Conflict in the Western US and Humla, Nepal
Research Location: Humla, Nepal and Western US
Conservation Partner: Ukali
Exploring Spatial and Temporal Trends in Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions to Improve and Propose Mitigation Structures
Research Location: Loudoun County, Virginia
Conservation Partner: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Machine Learning to Explore Linkages Between Maternal Health and Environmental Resources in Kenya
Research Location: Southern Kenya
Conservation Partners: Conservation Health Partners, Kenya
One Health Approach to Community Health, Development, Conservation, and Environmental Justice in Mbhashe, South Africa
Research Location: Mbhashe, South Africa
Conservation Partners: Battle of Lurwayizo Development (BOLD) and the Mbhashe Municipality
Restoring Plantation Landscapes: A Community Science Approach for Adaptive Monitoring in Milpa Alta, Mexico
Research Location: Milpa Alta Borough, Mexico City, Mexico
Conservation Partners: Biological Monitoring Group of Milpa Alta and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Strengthening Indigenous Capacity in Artisan and Sustainable Economies in the Argentine Chaco
Research Location: Argentine Chaco, localities of Misión Nueva Pompeya and Miraflores
Conservation Partner: Instituto de Investigaciones Geohistóricas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas- Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral)
Supporting the Use of Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs
Research Location: Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia
Conservation Partners: Traditional Eastern Woodlands Foodways Alliance (TEWFA), Baltimore American Indian Center (BAIC), Seven Generations United Association, The Reed Center for Ecosystem Reintegration, USDA, Just Harvest, NCGrowth, and IndigineiTEA
The Enemy of My Enemy: Do Predators Protect Humans from Lyme Disease?
Research Location: Northern California, USA
Conservation Partners: Alliance for Predator Exchange (APEX). This group is composed of researchers from San Francisco State University, UC Davis, Audubon Canyon Ranch, True Wild, the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy, UC Santa Cruz, and William & Mary
