Course coordinator
Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano
Available upon request via email.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 6
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- The Environment School
This course provides students with an opportunity to apply their newly-acquired quantitative skills - programming, statistics, and/or mathematics - and biological understanding to solve a real research problem. This will be done under the guidance of, and in collaboration with, a research supervisor at The University of Queensland.
This courses is restricted to students enrolled in the Master of Quantitative Biology programs.
Permission to enrol is granted by the Course Coordinator who can be contacted via the School of the Environment at environment@enquire.uq.edu.au
This course provides students with an opportunity to apply their newly-acquired quantitative skills - programming, statistics, and/or mathematics - and biological understanding to solve a real research problem. This will be done under the guidance of, and in collaboration with, a research supervisor at the University of Queensland.
Please apply for permission to enrol in this course using the ONLINE FORM.
Students must organise a supervisor, who should be anﾠacademic staff member at the University of Queensland, before they can enrol in this course. The research interests and contact details of potential supervisiorsﾠcan be found on the School of the Environment websiteﾠSchool of the Environment - University of Queensland (uq.edu.au)ﾠor other schools/centres' websites.ﾠStudents shouldﾠcontact a potential supervisor themselves (preferably by email) to determine ifﾠthey can supervise yourﾠproject.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
QBIO7001, QBIO7007, and at least three courses from QBIO7002, QBIO7003, QBIO7004, QBIO7005 & QBIO7006
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to provide students with experience in applying a range of quantitative tools and techniques to a well-defined biological research problem.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
identify and clearly define a research problem in biology that can be solved using mathematical, statistical and/or programming skills.
LO2.
clearly communicate quantitative research findings.
LO3.
generate reproducible research outputs
LO4.
collaborate with research advisors and other stakeholders.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Research proposal | 20% |
26/08/2024 3:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Final Research Report | 50% |
21/10/2024 3:00 pm |
| Presentation | Final Research Seminar | 15% |
25/10/2024 10:00 am
Goddard 08-501 and on zoom |
| Project | Research supervisor assessment | 15% |
15/11/2024 3:00 pm |
Assessment details
Research proposal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
26/08/2024 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students should complete a research proposal for their research project. The research proposal should be structured according to the following headings:
1) Abstract/summary; 2) Background; 3) Proposed methods and approach; 4) Schedule; 5) Proposed outcomes and deliverables; 6) References.
It should be clear what the research is, why the research is necessary, and what methods will be used. A clear timeline and a clear list of deliverables and outcomes should be provided. A list of cited references should be included at the end of the document.
The main text of the research proposal (excluding Figure/Table legends) should be 1,500-2,000 words.
Submission guidelines
Submit through Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Final Research Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
21/10/2024 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students should complete a final research report describing their research project and results. The report should be organized according to the following headings:
1) Title, 2) Abstract, 3) Introduction, 4) Approach and Methods, 5) Results, 6) Discussion, 7) Acknowledgements, 8) References.
In addition and where appropriate, the student should provide evidence that the project has been carried out according to principles of open reproducible science. This may, for example, require evidence of project management and continuous integration with github repository that is itself well organized. More generally, other quantitative biologists should be able to easily access data, code, mathematics, procedures, etc., and should be able to understand and readily re-implement key features of the project.
The main text of the final research report (excluding Figure/Table legends) should be less than 5,000 words (but should not be too short; over 4,000 words are recommended).
Submission guidelines
Submit through TurnItIn
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Final Research Seminar
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
25/10/2024 10:00 am
Goddard 08-501 and on zoom
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students will present a final seminar describing their research. Students should use their initiative to present their work in the most clear and compelling way. A general format would be background, research problem/question(s), methods, results, and conclusion. Seminars should go for 10-15 minutes + 5 minutes for questions.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Research supervisor assessment
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
15/11/2024 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students will be assessed by their research supervisor(s) on: 1) level of engagement with and commitment to the project; 2) project management; and 3) organization.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 0% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 30% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 45% |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 50% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 65% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 75% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentatge required for this grade is: 85% |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
ﾠ
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE (AI)
In this course, the use of AI tools, including generative AI, is only permitted for generating ideas and revising the text written by the student. It is not permitted to generate the text from the scratch.
If you are using AI tools, learn what they can and cannot do, then use them critically. AI models sometimes produce incorrect, biased or outdated information. Verify the accuracy of AI-generated content using reliable sources before including it in your work. The student will be responsible for all outcomes including information generated/provided by AI. Also see UQ Library guide.
Use of AI in your assessment must be acknowledged (see UQ Library guide). Not referencing or acknowledging AI use may constitute student misconduct under the (PPL 3.60.01) (see Student Code of Conduct).
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Problem-based learning |
Research project Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.