Institute for Integrative Conservation

Help us reach our goal of $50,000, which will support five students through the one-year Conservation Research Program.

The mission of the Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC) is to empower an inclusive community of thought leaders to create and deliver timely, innovative solutions to the world's most pressing conservation challenges. A key aspect of this mission is to bring together diverse partners with diverse perspectives, skillsets, and knowledge systems to design and implement integrative biodiversity conservation solutions.

The IIC’s Conservation Research Program (CRP) addresses critical needs in conservation for increased capacity, effective application of interdisciplinary research, and a strong professional pipeline. The CRP bridges these research-action gaps by bringing together W&M students, faculty, and external partners to conduct applied, integrative research and develop solutions to real conservation problems. In addition to W&M students, the Program engages students and young professionals from the locations where the research is being implemented. This involvement promotes cross-cultural partnerships and allows young leaders around the world to carry out conservation in their local areas.

Through the CRP, W&M students can:

• Work directly with conservation partners and W&M faculty to design a conservation research project that serves the partner's applied conservation needs
• Implement the project through field or lab research over a summer, while mentored by the conservation partner
• Gain research and professional skills through the year-long Conservation Research Program lab
• Disseminate their research through presentation, publication or other means
• Build professional networks that develop pathways to conservation careers

The Program empowers the next generation of innovative and compassionate conservation leaders and builds a W&M conservation legacy manifested in biodiversity outcomes around the world.