Postgraduate Research Project

Code

BIOS4096

School

Biosciences

Level

4

Credits

60

Semesters

Summer UK

Summary

An individual project undertaken by the student either on campus or as part of an industrial placement, depending on the degree programme.The topic of the project will be finalised after consultation with the student’s Course Director and a member of academic staff who will act as the supervisor. Students who are completing their project in industry will also have an industrial supervisor who will determine the topic of the project. The student will design the study; gain familiarity with previously published literature, together with the methods/techniques, ethical issues and, where appropriate, safety procedures relevant to the topic; and undertake data collection and appropriate quantitative analysis in preparation for the report and poster presentation.The project involves detailed research and collection of data by means of experiment, questionnaire, observation, factory trials and/or literature search as well as the analysis and interpretation of the data in the context of previous work. For students undertaking an industrial placement, this will take place at an external company or on campus on behalf of an external company. Reading and summarising previous research by other scientists working in the area, and writing a clear, concise final report are essential components of the project.

Target Students

Students on the following MSc courses: MSc Biotechnology, MSc Animal Nutrition, MSc Applied Biomolecular Technology, MSc Applied Biopharmaceutical Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship, MSc Crop Improvement, MSc Food Production Management, MSc Nutritional Sciences, MSc Biotechnology, MSc Clinical Nutrition, MSc Advanced Dietetic Practice.

Classes

Students undertake preparation work prior to the start of the project (supported or self-directed study or a literature review). The project duration is 10 - 11 weeks, during which time students are supervised directly (or remotely if at an external company) by academic staff. Students then write up the report (dissertation) and create the poster to present at the Poster Symposium.

Assessment

• 55% Coursework 1: Report/Research Paper (5,000) words
• 30% Coursework 2: Laboratory, field or library research (Supervisor appraisal)
• 15% Coursework 3: A poster presentation

Assessed by end of summer vacation

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will have:

A) The ability to summarise aims, objectives and key relevant information succinctly in an abstract of no more than 350 words. (This learning outcome is assessed through the abstract in the written report/research paper.)

B) A knowledge and understanding of the context of the research and its outcomes in relation to previous work in the discipline. (This learning outcome is assessed through the introduction in the written report/research paper.)

C) The ability to acquire substantial quantities of information systematically and process it effectively (including making and recording accurate measurements / observations, locating and retrieving data, as appropriate). (This learning outcome is assessed through the methods and results in the written report/research paper.)

D) The ability to analyse and interpret information and data critically, drawing appropriate conclusions through independent thought whilst giving due weight to the published arguments of others. (This learning outcome is assessed through the discussion in the written report/research paper.)

E) The ability to write and construct a scientific research report using appropriate styles, conventions and terminology. (This learning outcome is assessed through the overall presentation skills in the written report/research paper, i.e. following the instructions on writing styles, typographical and referencing accuracy etc.).

F) The professional skills to carry out scientific research and apply appropriate scientific method. (This learning outcome is assessed by the project supervisor based on the student's performance throughout the project, and the lab book, where applicable.)

G) The ability to plan a project, incorporating safety, ethical, analytical and experimental design issues as appropriate. (This learning outcome is assessed by the project supervisor based on the student's performance in the planning stages of the project and the lab book, where applicable.)

H) Execution of the project plan by working productively with others, managing working time effectively and meeting deadlines. (This learning outcome is assessed by the project supervisor based on the student's time management throughout the project and the lab book, where applicable.)

I) The ability to work with an appropriate degree of independence and initiative, taking into account in the amount of assistance required for report writing. (This learning outcome is assessed by the project supervisor based on the student's performance throughout the project.)

J) The ability to create and present a poster, summarising and reflecting on the project, consistent with the expectations of academia/industry, and respond to questioning. (This learning outcome is assessed through the poster presentation.)

Conveners

• Dr Gavin White
• Mr Jake Sallaway-Costello
• Dr Judith Wayte
• Dr Nagamani Bora
• Dr Jian Jia