Advanced Research Internship
Independent Research + Publication Track
Conduct Real Research. Publish Real Science.
A selective, mentorship-driven placement for students and researchers pursuing serious ecological research in the Amazon.
Overview
The Advanced Research Internship is a high-level program for individuals seeking to conduct independent research in tropical ecology, conservation biology, wildlife monitoring, or related fields.
Participants work directly with a PhD-level quantitative ecologist to develop, refine, analyze, and write up a research project. This may involve designing a project from the ground up, working with existing Hoja Nueva datasets, contributing to ongoing research, or developing thesis-level or publication-oriented work.
This is not a general internship. It is a research collaboration designed for participants who want to engage deeply with the scientific process and produce meaningful academic or professional outcomes.
What You'll Do
Each placement is tailored to the participant’s background, goals, and project needs. Some participants arrive with a defined thesis or research question, while others need support developing a project from the beginning. Depending on your level, mentorship may begin with the foundations of scientific thinking and project formulation, or it may focus more heavily on advanced modeling, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation.
Participants may work on formulating research questions, designing methodologies, structuring a scientific study, cleaning and organizing ecological datasets, conducting statistical analyses, applying quantitative tools, interpreting results, and drafting a thesis, report, or manuscript.
Research topics vary widely and are tailored to each participant. Examples of current project areas are outlined below. Many of our strongest research outcomes come from participants working with long-term datasets to answer questions that have remained unexplored for years
Research Focus and Project Opportunities
Hoja Nueva’s research program is built around long-term ecological monitoring and applied conservation science in one of the most biodiverse regions of the Amazon. Our strongest area of expertise is the quantitative analysis of wildlife data—particularly from camera trapping—combined with a growing body of field-based studies across multiple taxa.
Participants in the Advanced Research Internship have the opportunity to work with both long-term datasets and independently designed projects, depending on their goals, experience level, and length of stay.
Camera Trap Research
One of Hoja Nueva’s most valuable resources is our long-term camera trap dataset, spanning over a decade of continuous monitoring across our reserve. This dataset represents one of the most extensive collections of mammal camera trap data in the region, with records of nearly all terrestrial and semi-arboreal mammal species present in the area.
This creates exceptional opportunities for research projects with strong potential for publication.
Projects may explore:
- Species occupancy and distribution
- Activity patterns and temporal behavior
- Community composition and biodiversity
- Habitat use and environmental drivers
- Long-term population trends
Participants working with these datasets receive support in statistical analysis, modeling, and interpretation, making this one of the most direct pathways to publishable work at Hoja Nueva.
Ongoing Field Studies
In addition to camera trap research, Hoja Nueva supports a range of ongoing field studies and long-term ecological monitoring projects that participants may contribute to or build upon.
Current field-based research includes caiman monitoring and population dynamics, as well as primate (monkey) transects focused on population estimation and habitat use. We also conduct ongoing habitat classification work across the reserve, involving systematic measurements of forest structure such as tree density, diameter (DBH), and vegetation composition at regular intervals.
Participants may also take part in exploratory field surveys, where teams move off-trail to document previously unstudied areas of the forest. These expeditions contribute to identifying key ecological features such as rare or endangered tree species, unique habitat types, and other points of ecological interest.
In addition, Hoja Nueva maintains emerging datasets related to wildlife rehabilitation and rewilding, including post-release monitoring of select species. While this is a developing area of research, it may provide opportunities for participants to explore applied questions related to animal behavior, habitat use, and conservation outcomes.
Participants may also engage in behavioral observation projects involving wildlife in semi-wild or sanctuary contexts, often using camera-based monitoring to study activity patterns, enrichment responses, and species-specific behavior.
These projects allow participants to combine fieldwork with data analysis, depending on the scope and duration of their placement.
Independent and Custom Projects
Participants interested in designing their own research projects are also supported, particularly during longer placements where sufficient time is available for both data collection and analysis.
While Hoja Nueva’s core expertise lies in mammal ecology and quantitative analysis, we are able to support a wide range of independently designed projects across taxa and disciplines. This includes topics such as bird ecology, butterfly and insect diversity, primate behavior, herpetofauna surveys, forest structure and botany, and broader questions related to ecosystem dynamics. Our reserve also contains the largest known macaw clay lick along the Las Piedras River, offering unique opportunities for research on avian behavior, mineral use, and species interactions.
Participants pursuing independent projects receive guidance across the full research process, including study design, methodology development, logistics, data collection protocols, analysis, and scientific writing. Projects are developed collaboratively to ensure they are both feasible and scientifically rigorous within the timeframe of the placement.
Choosing Your Project
Participants interested in designing their own research projects are also supported, particularly during longer placements where sufficient time is available for both data collection and analysis.
While Hoja Nueva’s core expertise lies in mammal ecology and quantitative analysis, we are able to support a wide range of independently designed projects across taxa and disciplines. This includes topics such as bird ecology, butterfly and insect diversity, primate behavior, herpetofauna surveys, forest structure and botany, and broader questions related to ecosystem dynamics. Our reserve also contains the largest known macaw clay lick along the Las Piedras River, offering unique opportunities for research on avian behavior, mineral use, and species interactions.
Participants pursuing independent projects receive guidance across the full research process, including study design, methodology development, logistics, data collection protocols, analysis, and scientific writing. Projects are developed collaboratively to ensure they are both feasible and scientifically rigorous within the timeframe of the placement.
Mentorship
This placement includes weekly one-on-one mentorship, ongoing feedback, and support tailored to your academic level. The mentorship may cover research design, statistical modeling, coding, data visualization, writing, interpretation, and publication strategy.
Because this level of support is intensive, spaces are limited. The program also includes limited post-placement support to help participants continue progressing toward project completion, thesis submission, or publication after leaving the field site.
A Typical Day
The Advanced Research Internship is more intellectual and independent than the Immersive Conservation Internship. A typical day may involve data analysis, coding, literature review, scientific writing, meetings, project discussions, or independent work.
Participants may also join fieldwork, camera trap hikes, wildlife surveys, rehabilitation activities, or jungle walks when appropriate, but these are secondary to the research goals of the placement. Much of the work may be computer-based, especially for participants working with existing datasets or preparing manuscripts.
Starlink internet is available on site most of the day, but participants should be prepared for remote conditions and occasional connectivity limitations.
Life at Hoja Nueva
Advanced Research participants live on-site at the same rainforest field station as other interns and course participants. Accommodation is shared and simple, with beds, mosquito nets, communal spaces, solar-powered electricity, composting toilets, showers, hand-wash laundry, and Starlink Wi-Fi available during parts of the day.
Nutritious meals are provided, and participants live within a remote rainforest environment several hours from the nearest city. The setting is beautiful, biodiverse, and deeply immersive, but it also requires adaptability, patience, and comfort with basic field conditions.
Who This Is For
This program is designed for individuals seeking a serious, research-driven experience in tropical ecology and conservation. It is well suited to Master’s and PhD students, advanced undergraduates completing thesis-level work, and early-career researchers. It is also open to highly motivated individuals outside of traditional academic pathways, including those pursuing independent research, preparing for a career transition, or seeking to develop and publish their own scientific work.
Applicants do not need to be currently enrolled in a degree program, but they must demonstrate a clear commitment to research and the ability to engage with the scientific process in a focused and sustained way.
Participants should be independent, self-motivated, and comfortable receiving feedback. This placement requires a strong willingness to think critically, work through challenges, and dedicate significant time to analysis, writing, and revision.
Outcomes
The goal of this placement is to produce a completed research project, thesis chapter, manuscript draft, or publication-oriented output. While publication can never be absolutely guaranteed, the placement is designed to give participants a strong pathway toward publishable work when time, project quality, and commitment align.
Participants leave with advanced research experience, stronger analytical skills, scientific writing support, and high-level mentorship in tropical ecology and conservation science.
Duration and Pricing
The Advanced Research Internship has a recommended minimum stay of two months because meaningful research takes time. One-month placements may be considered only in exceptional cases, particularly for participants with a clearly defined project or existing dataset.
Pricing is tiered to encourage longer stays, as longer placements allow for stronger mentorship, deeper analysis, better project development, and greater potential for publication.
Sample Program Fees:
One Month
$1,900
Two Months
$3,500
Three Months
$4,950
Four Months
$6,200
Five Months
$7,250
Six Months
$8,100
What's Included
Your placement fee includes weekly one-on-one mentorship with a PhD-level ecologist, support with project design, analysis, interpretation, and writing, access to datasets and research infrastructure, optional participation in fieldwork or rehabilitation activities, accommodation, meals, transport to/from Puerto Maldonado, and on-site living.
This is a premium-tier placement reflecting the individualized mentorship and academic support involved. A deposit is required to secure your placement, with the remaining balance due prior to arrival.
Ready to Join us?
The Advanced Research Internship is an opportunity to conduct meaningful scientific work in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, with direct mentorship and support throughout the research process.
If you’re ready to develop a project, deepen your analytical skills, and contribute to real conservation science, we’d love to hear from you.