INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
An independent research project is an excellent starting point for students aspiring to write a senior or master thesis. It is also ideal preparation for future graduate work.
This option is intended for students who plan to travel independently. This may include joining IOI in one of our volunteer or internship programs. For details on available options, please check the Cuba or Galapagos project pages. IOI does NOT issue credits but is able to provide a detailed outline of completed hours and areas of development and work, that you can then take to your professor or study abroad office for credit validation.
Why Choose IOI?
CARBON NEUTRAL
Join the 1st study abroad organization offering Carbon Neutral international education opportunities. Your trip’s CO2 emissions will be calculated and we will jointly mitigate 100% of them
SPANISH
With an estimated 470 million people speaking native Spanish, this is a very useful language to know. We can add Spanish classes before or during your program to gain basic Spanish skills.
GLOBAL COMPETENCE SKILLS
Add the AFS Global Competency Certificate to help develop intercultural competence and better deal with cultural adjustment.
CULTURAL IMMERSION
The study abroad and service opportunities we provide are built around cultural immersion. You have the option to live with our host families or in locally run B&B’s while working with local entities like the National Parks.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
With experienced and highly trained staff, your safety is our top priority. We combine local knowledge with global support and protocols.
DEVELOP SKILLS
Our courses are designed to help develop valuable life and professional skills, such as global awareness & intelligence, field experience, teamwork, and Spanish language.
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
All our course and program objectives as well as our field work are aligned with IOI’s mid and long term objectives, designed as part of the UN SDG framework
VARIETY OF STUDY & RESEARCH FOCUSES
From environmental journalism, to rural community economics, or marine science and ecology, we have a variety of projects and expertise.
ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS
Become the research anchor for some of our locally-led projects. We will then support your research with year-round data collection. What a better way to gain long term data in remote locations?
CUSTOM PROGRAMS
Our programs can be 100% custom designed.
Areas of Study
Our aim is to co-design affordable, safe, fun, and impactful trips so students get extraordinary academic experiences and gain highly valuable global competence and other key employability skills. The design of our service programs is based in and around science by merging international education, research, and local projects. Thus, our service projects are academically informed by research, financed and participated in by international education, and executed throughout the year by our volunteers, local authorities, and community members.
All our programs and courses are co-designed with university faculty to ensure educational objectives are met whilst contributing to IOI’s long term conservation and development goals, and the global UN SDGs.
Students will get deep insights into IOI’s sustainable development work in conservation, education, and social development. This includes projects from terrestrial/marine conservation and ecology to sustainable tourism, from environmental journalism to geology to sound engineering.
Service learning activities are customized to the curriculum and can include: invasive species management, turtle nesting monitoring, coastal and watershed management analysis, trail and park maintenance, sustainable agriculture and environmental restoration. All service learning projects are designed to add to our ongoing conservation programs and generate lasting, high impact in a short period of time.
What You Need to Know
Read IOI’s projects page to become familiar with our projects and objectives.
Review the suggested research focuses, below, and ensure there is a good fit with your interest and studies
Have a clear purpose for the research
Contact us and express your interest in conducting independent research projects during your time with IOI.
Prior to departure, check in with your advisor at your home college or university to see if there are any additional requirements for students conducting independent research abroad.
Plan, plan, plan: Serious research requires a clear research question and a research plan. International research requires even more thoughtful planning and will likely require more time to arrange and, once on the field, may take more time to conduct.
Submit your completed project proposal 2 months prior to your arrival date, to ensure relevant permits are requested, if needed, prior to your arrival.
So, adventure awaits. Are you ready to go?
If you are a student interested in studying with us, please contact us here.
If you are a university administrator or faculty member, and are interested in setting up a study abroad trip or conducting research in the Galapagos or Cuba please send us an e-mail at info@ioi.ngo.
Download our study abroad brochure
