The Wet Tropics Cairns Applied Research Workshop will be conducted in the mid-year break in and around Cairns, a north Queensland delta city subject to severe development and climate change pressures. Participants will investigate case studies and issues relevant to the coastal regions of many countries in the wet tropics stimulated by visits to sites with similar challenges in and around Cairns. The course is designed for students interested in environmental and development issues and will develop skills needed for policy relevant research. The Cairns Research Workshop will bring together students, ANU staff, north Queensland based researchers, staff from local and state government agencies and the Daintree and Great Barrier Reef national parks and representatives from industry groups, non-government organizations, and local communities including Indigenous peoples. The workshop-in-the-field format will combine class seminars and small group sessions with a variety of field trips. Through their individual research projects students will be able to investigate a subject of their choice selected from a wide range of topics. These include climate change impacts on coastal communities, climate change adaptation strategies, the management of river deltas, issues related to national parks and UNESCO heritage sites, NGOs and community organizations involved in policy development and management (with particular attention to the situation of Indigenous peoples) and eco-tourism, a major industry in the Cairns region.