Operation Wallacea has developed themed research programmes at each of the 17 research centres that they use over the university holiday period in Indonesia (2), Egypt (2), South Africa (5), Mozambique (1), Madagascar (1), Cuba (1), Honduras (4) and Peru (1). These research programmes are designed to produce data for a 4 stage process including assessing the biodiversity value of the site, monitoring long term changes in key taxa, assessing the socio-economic value of the protected areas and then using these data to lever funds to establish best practice conservation management projects. Academics from universities and institutes around the world can come and conduct their own research into their own specialist interests as part of these programmes. The programmes are funded by undergraduate or Masters students who come to gain hands on research experience either to strengthen their cv (resume) or to gather data for a dissertation or thesis. All of the sites are run in conjunction with local communities and organisations who have developed small businesses around the provision of the logistics support for these large annual survey programmes. The research programmes are very much output focussed with at least 25 papers being submitted to peer reviewed journals each year.

 
There is widespread existing academic collaboration on the research programmes but there are various ways in which additional academics can become involved in the research programmes. You can apply for a Visiting Academic grant to visit one of the sites to assess their suitability to run a long term research project or to take a class for a field visit. Operation Wallacea also part funds PhD studentships (25 to date) and is looking for additional academic collaborations to increase this support. The Opwall research facilities can be used by university class groups outside the June to August periods when the Opwall research programmes are running or class groups can be run with course credit during the Opwall season. There are numerous ways in which you can organise course credit for your students participating in the research programmes. Also you can organise talks about the research programmes and their conservation impacts either from one of the staff in the September to December period each year or by webinar broadcast.