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• Student Application

Student Application

We aim to recruit a diverse cohort of W&M undergraduate students with unique perspectives, skills, interests, and backgrounds who can work with partners and faculty, and engage with a student cohort to advance integrative conservation solutions.

If you are interested in any IIC research program, please join our mailing list so that you will receive announcements of open application periods.

Year-long Project Application

The application period for the 2024 year-long research program is now closed. Please consider applying next fall for the 2025 program.

Semester-long Project Application

We post new projects and accept applications for semester research program at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. 

Conservation GIS Lab Application

We post new projects and accept applications for the Conservation GIS Lab at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. Application is now open for the Spring 2024 GIS lab. Apply by December 20, 2023.

Interested in applying to the Year-Long Program? Follow these steps:

1. Review the program options, application deadlines, and eligibility for students.
2. Take a look at some of our current projects and our research portfolio. While each project is unique, this review will provide a general idea the type and scope of research we do. 
3. Read the Student FAQs.
4. Watch the videos in the FAQ.
5. Join our mailing list to received notice when the student application opens (annually in the fall)
6. Sign up to learn more about the program and the application process.
7. Attend an information session (announced to our mailing list)
8. Review the application tips below, and prepare to apply for the program.
9. Submit your application by the program deadline.

Application Tips

In the application interested students are asked to briefly reflect on their interest in the program, present their contributions to conservation, and describe how they will apply their unique skills, talents, and perspectives to one of the available research projects and as a member of the student research cohort. Students will be asked to select and prioritize a few projects of interest. 

A good application:

• Expresses the student's commitment to biodiversity conservation and to navigating complex conservation challenges
• Highlights the student’s unique perspectives, skills, and passions
• Demonstrates the student has the skills required to complete the research project
• Demonstrates the student has the resiliency, professionalism, and organizational skills needed to effectively lead a research project.
• Demonstrates the student shares IIC values

Successful applicants demonstrate that they are a good fit for the program, express their commitment to conservation, reflect on the unique perspectives and skills they bring to the conservation field.

We encourage applicants to read the project descriptions and to think about the unique ways that they would contribute to that project. If the project requires travel, fluency in a language or specific skills, applicants should make sure to communicate their ability to meet these requirements.

Student selection 

The eligible projects are preselected for a given year. The IIC research committee will review applications with the goal of matching students with projects and partners that will maximize the mutual impact for students and partners.