Students conduct research projects informed by classroom and field lectures, group discussions, and hands-on instruction covering techniques and procedures. Students conduct three main research projects during the term, building on accumulated skills in:
- Hypothesis formulation and research design
- Critical reading and presentation of scientific work
- Research proposal and peer review
- Scientific sampling and methods to minimize bias
- Statistical analysis
- Visualization and graphing of scientific data
- Narrative composition and public speaking in science
- Scientific writing and publishing in the professional literature
In the final weeks of the program, students marshal all of this training to conduct an extended research project of their own devising. Final research projects are undertaken in groups of three to five students and culminate in a coauthored paper in the style of a professional journal article and a conference-style research presentation.