This month-long immersive field course is designed for people at an early stage in their ecological or conservation research journey. It’s especially suited to those who want to build confidence in project design, critical thinking and scientific communication, but who may not yet have had many chances to carry out their own research.
You will learn by doing in the spectacular tropical rainforest of Kibale National Park, supported by our world-class teaching team, which includes leading Ugandan researchers and conservation practitioners. Your course-mates will come from across the world (with at least 50% from Africa), creating a rich and diverse environment to learn, cooperate and share perspectives.
The course begins with guided workshops and field exercises that introduce key habitats, taxa and themes. Students are encouraged to ask questions and develop their own interests. Evening lectures and seminars draw on the expertise of the teachers present. The final half of the course is devoted to independent research projects carried out in pairs. Each project is written up in full and presented as a short research paper.
Even though the focus is on transferable skills, the topics will include:
- Forest ecology and conservation
- Plant-animal interactions
- Animal behaviour
- Field research techniques
- Research project design
- Scientific writing
Minimum academic requirements: Applicants must hold a biological degree by the course start date – or have completed at least 3 years of a biological degree course. They must be fluent in written and spoken English.
The course fee: £1400
Applications are accepted until 20 March 2026.
More information about the course
Edit: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental protection, University of Lodz)
