The IFR’s mission is to transform individuals and communities through experiential education and field research.

Our Goals

  • Raise awareness and enhance protection of our shared world heritage and natural landscapes.
  • Reinforce the importance of evidence-based research by fortifying its place in public consciousness.
  • Foster hands-on, experientially immersive field research training opportunities to people around the world.
  • Develop a system of excellence in both research and pedagogy in field schools.
  • Promote collaborative research partnerships with local/Indigenous communities.
  • Promote diversity, equity and accessibility in field school education by using economies of scale and raising funds for scholarships.

The IFR Story

The Institute for Field Research (IFR) was created in March 2011 by a group of leading academics. Operating as an independent, nonprofit academic organization has allowed us to break down traditional institutional barriers and deliver field schools to students regardless of the university in which they matriculate. By working with leading scholars from academic institutions around the world, the IFR delivers evidence-based field science programs in a broad range of disciplines while ensuring excellence in research and teaching. Students are no longer limited to the expertise of faculty members at their home institution, and principal investigators can recruit the best students from around the world.

The IFR offers a unique model to ensure excellence in our field schools. Each program is peer-reviewed, annually by our Academic Board. The application process for new programs and partners is rigorous. No program is permitted to submit an application before IFR academic staff or board members conduct a site visit. Field school projects are evaluated both on the merit of active research and commitment to pedagogy. This investment in quality control yields exceptional and dependable programs that produce outstanding research and remarkable students.

Students attending any IFR field school are awarded college credit units through our academic partner, Connecticut College, a private, highly ranked liberal arts institution with a deep commitment to undergraduate education.