It really depends! I'm currently on staff at a university, and some of my time moving forward will be allocated towards helping a research project that needs a

It really depends! I'm currently on staff at a university, and some of my time moving forward will be allocated towards helping a research project that needs a diver with some instrumentation skills. I do know at least two people who have taken it that aren't officially part of the university, although they did have some ties (alumni or lived locally). In general, you probably won't be doing your own research unless you enroll in a PhD program or somehow enlist some other folks to help you do some citizen science that you'll try to publish. Having the AAUS certification can definitely help in getting you a job at a university, if you're interested in that sort of thing, in which case you'll mostly likely work on whatever projects the group that hires you is doing. A word of caution; academic marine technicians are generally paid very little, especially compared to what a lot of the HN crowd seems used to making. That's the "general answer"; an honest one is that it will really depend on the specifics of the university, their policies/approaches to diving, and your connection to that community in whatever form it takes. Hope this was helpful--my email's in my profile if you have more specific questions!