“You are going to start from square one, just as a student walking into your class for the first time. It's going to feel a little uncomfortable at first, but that is a good thing, because you are going to learn SO MUCH. Do not feel discouraged in the beginning if you are unfamiliar with your research topic. It's going to feel amazing at how much you can accomplish. Always plan to adapt, and you will be revisiting your work constantly, but that is how science works!”
The Research Experiences for Teachers (BIORETS) program at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, located in Millbrook, NY, will support 9 teachers for 6 weeks during the summer and an additional 13 days during the academic year. Through collaborative research projects and professional development activities that promote reflection, teamwork, and teacher leadership, the Cary BIORETS program aims to enhance teacher capacity to build the ecological knowledge of their students and increase their proficiency with science practices.
This program will cultivate and support teacher leadership that extends its impact beyond the immediate confines of participating teachers' classrooms. Each teacher will produce instructional materials and contribute to an education publication based on their research and teaching experiences. They will have the opportunity to attend regional or national conferences and be supported in conducting workshops within their schools to share their innovative curricula and other knowledge generated from their BIORETS experience.
Although the formal program lasts for one year, our program will establish a lasting connection between teachers and scientists committed to promoting ecological literacy locally and nationwide.
Through the Cary BIORETS program teachers will:
- Increase their knowledge of ecology
- Develop their skills in conducting original research, including research design, implementation, and data analysis
- Increase their knowledge of effective pedagogy and curriculum design for building ecological and data literacy
- Be part of a collaborative community of middle and high school teachers, scientists and educational researchers.
Cary BIORETS includes:
- Six weeks of collaborative summer research in the field of ecology
- Three virtual school-year follow up sessions to support implementation of new curriculum
- A culminating in-person, two-day writing workshop to support teachers in publishing their work
- Mentorship by Cary Scientists
- Collaborative professional learning opportunities
- Support to present at a regional conference or national conference
- Funding for purchasing classroom materials
“This program has the potential to be transformative if you are ready to truly commit and be present during the whole program. I'm saying this as a commuter, which was still a magnificent experience. You are going to be asked to do things that are new and different, and work with other people, which you may not be used to doing. It was wonderful to be able to try out a different type of work for a few weeks and I recommend the experience to others who want a new experience to reinvigorate their career.”
Program details
Teachers who are eligible:
- Work as a middle or high school teacher in a STEM field (including biology, Earth science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering)
- Have worked in a classroom for at least one year
- Have an interest in increasing your and your students’ ecological literacy
- Be able to commit to the entirety of the program, including teaching new curriculum materials
We are particularly interested in teachers who:
- Work with historically marginalized and underserved students
- Work in under-resourced schools, including those in rural and urban communities.
- Have limited access to professional learning opportunities
- Want to engage in the translation of cutting edge research into meaningful learning experiences for students
The Cary BIORETS program is a full-time six week program, running from June 30 - August 8 (Holiday on 4th). Participants are expected to be on site at Cary Institute in Millbrook, NY each day from 9 am - 4 pm. After the summer program concludes, you will participate in four Saturday follow up sessions (virtually) with your cohort during the school year and return to Cary’s campus the following June for an in-person two day meeting.
Teachers will complete a research project with guidance from Cary scientists and education staff. Participants also will generate new curriculum for their classroom to be implemented in the following school year. You will need to be teaching in the 2025-2026 school year so that you can implement your new materials in your classroom. These materials are tailored (by you!) to your classroom and can range from a short lesson sequence (2-4 class periods) to a full unit. You will choose the appropriate content, standards and pedagogy that supports your growth as a teacher and work with Cary education staff to incorporate effective, research supported methods in your materials.
Teachers will receive a $8,800 stipend for full participation in the program. This supports your summer research work, school year follow up sessions, work time to implement new curriculum, participation in evaluation surveys and participating in the writing workshop. Each teacher receives a budget of up to $2,000 for supplies for classroom materials to support implementation of their new curriculum. Additional funding is available for some participants for travel and expenses for presenting at a regional or national conference.
The Cary BIORETS program is a full-time six week program, running from June 30 - August 8 (Holiday on 4th). Participants are expected to be on site at Cary Institute in Millbrook, NY each day from 9 am - 4 pm. After the summer program concludes, you will participate in Saturday follow up sessions (virtually) with your cohort during the school year and return to Cary’s campus the following June for an in-person two day meeting.
| March 15, 2025 | Application Deadline |
| Late March, 2025 | Applicant Interviews |
| Early April, 2025 | Applicant Selection Notification |
| June 30, 2025 - August 8, 2025 | Summer Research & Curriculum Development (Holiday on July 4) |
| 2025-2026 School Year | Four virtual follow up sessions (Dates TBD, based on participant availability) |
| June 2026 | In-person Writing Retreat (Date TBD, based on participant availability) |
I really want to participate, but I have a family vacation planned, should I still apply?
Commitment to the full program is expected for all participants. That being said, we understand that we all have other obligations. Missing a small number of days in the summer is understandable, but a commitment that requires you to miss more than two consecutive days of the program will make it difficult for you and your team to have a successful experience.
I live out of town, is there housing and travel assistance available?
Yes, we provide accommodations for participants who live beyond a reasonable commuting distance. Participants will stay in a shared house on our rural campus. Please note that the accommodations are dormitory-style in the Smith House, a renovated farmhouse on a field research site. While clean and well maintained, the bedrooms have no air conditioning; window fans are available. You will have a private room with a shared bath. We cannot accommodate pets in our housing. Please refer to our housing manual for housing information and view pictures of Smith House here. If you are traveling with family, please reach out to the program coordinator Becky Van Tassell (vantassellr@caryinstitute.org) to discuss options.
Travel expenses for out of town participants are covered for travel to Millbrook at the start of the program, and travel home at the end of the program.
Are travel expenses included for participants?
For local teachers, a portion of your daily mileage expenses will be reimbursed. Travel expenses for out of town participants are covered for travel to Millbrook at the start of the program, and travel home at the end of the program.
The eligibility requirements say I have to have taught for one year. I’m in my first year of teaching, am I still eligible?
You are eligible to apply. We want teachers to have taught for at least a year when entering the program.
Are any supplies/consumables/equipment provided or do these need to be purchased from the stipend?
All supplies required for the summer research are provided by the program. In addition, each teacher will have a budget of up to $2,000 for supplies for your classroom to support your implementation of whatever new curriculum you are integrating.
I have a conflict this summer, is this program being offered in the future?
Yes! We will be accepting a cohort for the 2026-2027 school year as well, and pending renewal of our funding, additional cohorts in the future.
I see that the program involves field work. I’m not an outdoorsy person - what is the fieldwork like?
Fieldwork can be physically demanding work. July in Millbrook is often hot and humid and many of our research plots are accessible by footpaths only. That being said, we are committed to including all participants meaningfully in their research projects and will make any necessary accommodations and modifications of our plans to include all of our participants.
2025-2026 Research Mentor Teams
Cary BIORETS participants work with Cary scientists on current research projects.
Cary BIORETS participants can expect to experience the whole range of tasks associated with conducting research. From ideating a research question, developing a written research proposal, conducting field work in Millbrook, NY in July, and clearing and analyzing data. Along the way you’ll be supported by your mentors and work with other Cary staff to develop your research skills.
Parasites in the water – what shapes infection and why does it matter?
Research Mentors: Tara Stewart Merrill and Elizabeth Davenport
The RAD lab (Research on Aquatic Disease) is driven to understand the causes and consequences of infectious disease in freshwater environments—from ponds, to lakes, to rivers. That is, we ask how different aspects of the aquatic environment shape parasite transmission and how resulting disease can then feed-back to influence organisms and their interactions. This work has implications for human and wildlife health, while also advancing our understanding of parasite impacts on populations, communities, and food webs. BIORETS teachers in summer 2025 may explore a variety of questions that are based in local aquatic environments (e.g., ponds on the Cary Institute property, the nearby Hudson River, or lakes in the New York region). Research will focus on aquatic snails and their flatworm parasites or on crustacean zooplankton harboring microbial pathogens (note: these parasites do not infect people).
Within these broad themes, example questions for summer projects include:
- How will drought-like conditions (water loss, elevated temperature, and increased salinity) shape the emergence and survival of aquatic parasites?
- How has parasitism of zooplankton changed in the Hudson River following the introduction of the invasive zebra mussel?
- How does resource availability shape the outcome of infection, i.e., does more food help a host fight infection or does more food fuel a parasite’s growth?
Understanding how disturbances and their legacies influence forest function
Research Mentors: Evan Gora, Vanessa Rubio, Ian Mcgregor
Forests sequester carbon by performing photosynthesis in their leaves, and this process helps maintain our global climate in equilibrium. However, forests are experiencing disturbances - events that kill or damage trees - at higher rates in recent decades and this could influence the ability of forests to sequester carbon. To understand how forests are changing, we need to investigate how environmental conditions (e.g., topography), historic disturbances, and contemporary disturbances interact to shape the production and vertical distribution of leaves. BIORETS teachers will explore these dynamics in Cary’s established research forest plots.
Within these broad themes, example questions for summer projects include:
- How does the timing, type (e.g., wind versus spongy moth), and severity of historic disturbances shape the productivity (i.e., the ability to capture carbon) and physical structure of the forest today?
- How do the effects of disturbances on forest productivity (i.e., the ability to capture carbon) and physical structure differ in different forest habitats?
Stressed Out Soils: How global change and human activity is shaping our soils and the functions they control
Research Mentors: Jane Lucas and Elizabeth Valentine
The MESS lab (Microbial Ecology and Soil Science) is dedicated to exploring the hidden complexity of microbial communities and their essential roles in nutrient cycling, soil health, and carbon storage. These tiny, often-overlooked organisms drive ecosystem functions by fertilizing plants, recycling organic debris, and regulating soil productivity. Led by Dr. Jane Lucas, the lab addresses pressing questions about how global change factors like warming, drought, and chemical stressors interact with local human activities to affect soil ecosystems. The lab’s ongoing research projects include investigating how multiple stressors—such as antibiotics, fungicides, and climate extremes—shape belowground microbial communities and their impacts on plants and insects. By studying diverse landscapes, from tropical forests to Hudson Valley grasslands, the lab seeks to inform strategies for sustainable agriculture, soil restoration, and effective carbon management in a rapidly changing world.
BIORETS teachers in summer 2025 may explore a variety of questions focused on how global change and human activity affect agricultural and grassland ecosystems emphasizing linkages between aboveground plant communities, invertebrates, and soil health factors.
Within these broad themes, example questions for summer projects include:
- How do fertilization and tillage practices affect soil health and nutrient cycling?
- What happens to grasslands when they face multiple interacting stressors like warming, drought, and antibiotics?
- How does the installation of solar fields influence the capacity of grasslands to maintain productive ecosystems?
Questions?
Contact Rebecca Van Tassell, BIORETS Program Coordinator, at vantassellr@caryinstitute.org