LF408-90 MBio Research Project (In House)
Introductory description
MBio Research Project (In House)
Module aims
The aim of this module is to provide students with professional research skills through an extended period of academic work.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Students will carry out an extended research project. The research may be either laboratory or field-based, or may involve Bioinfomatic or Systems Biology analyses. Students will choose projects from a list of projects based on ongoing departmental research programmes. The student will have a discrete project and, after appropriate training, be involved in design, analysis and execution of all appropriate experimental work. Project supervisors will be responsible for instruction and training on a day-to-day basis.
The project will run over 35 weeks, which will include 28 weeks of data acquisition and/or analysis, 5 weeks of write-up in the form of a research paper, and 2 weeks for preparation of a short seminar on their project.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- ability to present research both orally and in written format, in a manner that is consistent with scientific research practice
- ability to plan, conceptualize and execute experimental approaches that lead to scientific data collection
- the ability to critically evaluate data and draw scientifically-valid conclusions, drawing where necessary, from quantitative and statistical approaches
- demonstrate awareness of research culture and the value of developing a collegial and professional relationship with other researchers, as a means to foster the pursuit of scientific research and advancement of knowledge
Research element
The aim of this module is to provide students with professional research skills through an extended period of practice in an academic setting. Students will develop a hypothesis-driven research project, collect and analyse data and report the data in a written and oral format.
Subject specific skills
By the end of this module the student should have developed fundamental research skills that include:
- ability to conceptualize hypotheses and design experiments to test them.
- ability to demonstrate mastery of technical skills appropriate to the discipline of the research.
- ability to present research in a written format that is consistent with the standards of the discipline of the research.
- ability to present research in an oral presentation.
- ability to articulate and navigate scientific discussions.
- ability to critically analyze data and draw scientifically-valid conclusions.
Transferable skills
The subject specific skills align with those required to develop research in professional setting.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 3 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (0%) |
| Seminars | 12 sessions of 1 hour (1%) |
| Project supervision | 20 sessions of 1 hour (2%) |
| Private study | 863 hours 30 minutes (96%) |
| Total | 900 hours |
Private study description
Research
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research paper | 60% | No | |
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Students will report their results in a research article format, following specified guidelines and adhering to word limits and formatting requirements. |
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| Oral Presentation | 20% | No | |
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Students will give an oral presentation on their project as part of a mini-symposium. |
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| Project Performance | 20% | No | |
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Project supervisors grade performance of the student, their level of engagement and capacity to develop research. |
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Assessment group R
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| module not re-assessed | 100% | No |
Feedback on assessment
Students will obtain feedback through individual discussions with their academic supervisor.
Dissertations and oral presentations will be marked independently by the academic supervisor and by one other member of academic staff within the department. The project performance mark will be allocated by the academic supervisor based on a questionaire. Students' oral presentations will be recorded in order to make the presentations available to the external examiners.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 4 of ULFA-C1A2 Undergraduate Biochemistry (MBio)
- Year 4 of ULFA-C1A1 Undergraduate Biological Sciences (MBio)
- Year 4 of ULFA-C1A3 Undergraduate Biomedical Science (MBio)
- Year 4 of ULFA-B142 Undergraduate Neuroscience (MBio)