The centerpiece of the Research in Ecology Program is the term research project. Each year, from three to six research teams are formed, each consisting of

• Faculty Research Mentor - a Research Faculty member from the University of Miami Department of Biology
• Graduate Research Mentor - a graduate student from Department of Biology
• Undergraduate Facilitator - an undergraduate interested in both biology and teaching
• Middle school student participants (4 - 6 per group)
• Middle school science teachers (1 - 2 per group)

Over the course of six weeks and under the guidance of the faculty and graduate student research mentors, the teams focus on a single scientific question, collect data in the field, analyze it, and prepare a paper on their findings in publishable format.