Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Biomedical Sciences School
This course will present students with the opportunity to undertake an additional undergraduate research project in the field of biomedical science, under the supervision of a researcher.
This course allows students to participate in an individual or group research project associated with a discipline of interest to them.
It provides an opportunity to develop core skills in biomedical science research, including scientific communication, record keeping, analysisﾠand statistics, as well as both independence and teamwork.
Finding a supervisor
To participate in this course you need an academic supervisor who can accommodate you in their laboratory. How do you find a supervisor?
1. Identify an area of research in Biomedical Science that interests you.
2. Locate an academic that has an active laboratory in the research field that interests you. A good source of this information is the SBMS website and www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers.
3. Choose several potential supervisors.
4. Contact the selected supervisors by email to make an appointment to speak with them. Tip: Include your CV with your GPAs.ﾠ
5. Be informed about the research work of the academic's laboratory. Tip: During the interview, be enthusiastic about the academic's research.
Applying for this course
Once you have confirmed your supervisor, you must complete the application form in conjunction with your supervisors. All applications should be submitted to the School of Biomedical Sciences via email to med.sbms@uq.edu.au or to the Teaching and Assessment Office, Level 1, Sir William MacGregor Building (#64), by Week 1 of the semester.
Applications will be considered by the Course Coordinator and applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by the School Office administration on behalf of the Course Coordinator. This notification will be sent via email to your official UQ student email account. Students with approved applications will be added to a permissions list which will allow them to enrol into the course via mySi-Net. Students will be unable to enrol into the appropriate course until given permission by the School.
All details relating to the course organisation, lectures and assessment of projects will be discussed in the first lecture and subsequent communication will be directly with the course co-ordinator, lecturers, and supervisors via the course Blackboard site. For more information about specific projects, contact the lab supervisor offering the research project.
If you are uncertain whether the project you have identified is appropriate for your field of study, please contact the course coordinator.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that all students will have undertaken Level 2 courses which provide an appropriate background to the project which they undertake. In particular, some component of Level 2 laboratory work would be desirable. All students as a minimum must have undertaken first level or equivalent course which introduces basic aspects of occupational health and safety issues associated with working in a laboratory.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
Completion of #24 units including SCIE3220 prior to enrolment in the course; approval from School of Biomedical Sciences
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
BIOL1040, BIOL2200, BIOM2011, BIOM2012
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
BIOL3044, BIOL3017, BIOL3043, SCIE3017, SCIE3043, SCIE3044
Course contact
Course coordinator
Course coordinator
School enquiries
Student and Academic Administration Team
The SBMS Student and Academic Administration Team is located on Level 1 of the Sir William Macgregor Building (64-130).
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
The broad goals of the course are to develop students core research skills and to introduce them to important concepts related to the ethical and legal aspects of scientific research by allowing them to participate in an individual or group research project within a discipline of interest.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Participate in an individual or group research project
LO2.
Make scientific observations
LO3.
Record and analyse scientific data
LO4.
Apply core research skills including finding and organising information, and conveying ideas
LO5.
Apply written and oral communication skills pertaining to scientific, biological and chemical research
LO6.
Explain concepts related to the ethical and legal aspects of scientific research and intellectual property
LO7.
Describe the social and civic responsibility pertaining to research, how research is funded, and future career opportunities in science
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Project Background and Critical Evaluation
|
Pass/Fail |
22/08/2024 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Report
|
60% |
16/10/2024 1:00 pm |
| Notebook/ Logbook, Practical/ Demonstration |
Laboratory Performance and Record Keeping
|
20% |
16/10/2024 1:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Oral Presentation
|
20% |
24/10/2024 - 25/10/2024 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Project Background and Critical Evaluation
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
22/08/2024 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04, L05
Task description
A critical evaluation of the literature relating to the project undertaken. This assessment task is designed to improve the student's writing and critical thinking skills. Supervisors are asked to provide their student with a list of publications related to the assigned research on the first week of the semester. The student will then be required to produce a a literature review of up to 1200 words. The supervisor will be required to mark the literature review and give a pass/fail mark, with ample feedback to improve the student's writing and critical thinking skills.
Upon submission of the Critical Evaluation, you should check in the Turnitin Assignment Inbox page that your assessment was submitted successfully. Further assessment details will be provided on Blackboard during the semester.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct . To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Hurdle requirements
You must obtain a PASS mark on in the "Project Background and Critical Evaluation" assessment task.Submission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task, with the electronic coversheet available on the School's website (under Undergraduate - Assessment), to Turnitin by the submission deadline. You may submit drafts to Turnitin up to the due date, but you will only be able to submit once on or after the due date. You should also keep an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Requests for extension must be made prior to the submission deadline, even if you are awaiting your supporting documentation. Late requests for extension will not be accepted for consideration unless you provide evidence of exceptional circumstances preventing you from submitting a request prior to the deadline, e.g., due to hospitalisation.
If you have been granted an extension, then the assessment specified late submission penalty in the table above will apply to submissions made after the due date of the approved extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Research Report
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
16/10/2024 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The research report should be a maximum of 2,500 words and follow the format provided by the course coordinators. This includes: Title, Author list, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results & Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements (contributions by others) and References. References, Figures/Legends, Tables and Acknowledgements are not included in the word count. Upon submission of the Research Report, you should check in the Turnitin Assignment Inbox page that your report was submitted successfully. Further assessment details will be provided on Blackboard during the semester.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Hurdle requirements
You must submit a reasonable attempt of all assessment itemsSubmission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task, with the electronic coversheet available on the School's website (under Undergraduate - Assessment), to Turnitin by the submission deadline. You may submit drafts to Turnitin up to the due date, but you will only be able to submit once on or after the due date. You should also keep an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Requests for extension must be made prior to the submission deadline, even if you are awaiting your supporting documentation. Late requests for extension will not be accepted for consideration unless you provide evidence of exceptional circumstances preventing you from submitting a request prior to the deadline, e.g., due to hospitalisation.
If you have been granted an extension, then the assessment specified penalty listed under Late Submission will be applied to submissions made after the due date of the approved extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Laboratory Performance and Record Keeping
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook, Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
16/10/2024 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07
Task description
This practical component is a major emphasis of the course and this part of the assessment will focus on the student's overall ability to carry out cutting edge research. This includes the use of relevant equipment, techniques, OH&S compliance and ability to work with others. It is also essential to make accurate and detailed experimental notes so that experiments can be repeated and these are to be recorded in a laboratory notebook. The supervisor will assess the laboratory performance and record keeping. Further assessment details will be provided on Blackboard during the semester.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
You must submit a reasonable attempt of all assessment items.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Oral Presentation
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
24/10/2024 - 25/10/2024
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07
Task description
Oral Presentation: Talks are a common way of presenting scientific research at conferences. Here, the student will present the work to an audience of fellow students, supervisors and well as the course coordinators. Hints and ideas to help with this preparation will be discussed during the lectures and can also be obtained from the supervisors. The talk will have a duration of 10 min with 3 minutes for questions. It should be accompanied by slides, which will be evaluated for their content, style, and overall quality. Clarity, good narrative, logic, focus, accuracy and critical evaluation are highly important attributes in a presentation. The talks will be assessed by the course coordinators. Further assessment details will be provided on Blackboard during the semester.
The oral presentation will be recorded.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct .
Hurdle requirements
You must submit a reasonable attempt of all assessment items.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 0% - 29%. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 30% - 44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 45% - 49% OR A cumulative score for all assessment items of 50% or greater, but unsuccessful completion of assessment hurdles as outlined below in "Additional Course Grading Information" |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 50% - 64% AND successful completion of assessment hurdles as outlined below in "Additional Course Grading Information" |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 65% - 74% AND successful completion of assessment hurdles as outlined below in "Additional Course Grading Information" |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 75% - 84% AND successful completion of assessment hurdles as outlined below in "Additional Course Grading Information" |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all intra-semester and end of semester assessment items of 85% - 100% AND successful completion of assessment hurdles as outlined below in "Additional Course Grading Information" |
Additional course grading information
To pass this course you must meet ALL the following hurdle requirements:
- You must submit a reasonable attempt of all assessment items
- You must obtain a PASS mark on in the "Project Background and Critical Evaluation" assessment taskﾠ
If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course and does NOT successfully complete the hurdles, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
School of Biomedical Sciences Assessment Guidelines
- Assessment due dates and times listed are Brisbane local (AEST) time.ﾠ
- Oral Presentations are not eligible for requests for re-mark because the assessment cannot be replicated or duplicated.
- All assessment results will be available via the Blackboard site (learn.uq.edu.au) via My Grades.
- If you require further feedback on your performance in examinations, you can email the Student and Academic Administration Team at sbms@enquire.uq.edu.au
Information onﾠapplying for an assessment extensionﾠcan be found on theﾠApplying for an extensionﾠwebsite.
Information onﾠapplying for a deferred examﾠcan be found on theﾠDeferring an examﾠwebsite.
Information onﾠassessment re-mark requestsﾠcan be found on theﾠQuerying a resultﾠwebsite.
ﾠ
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.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | Clean white laboratory coat, safety glasses and fully enclosed shoes. Students will not be permitted in the laboratory without these items. Lab coats are available for purchase from the UQ Bookshop. | own item needed |
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 |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Lecture |
Scientific Writing and Presentation [Rosengren] What makes a great paper, poster or oral presentation. |
Lecture |
Introduction: [A/Prof. Johan Rosengren] Course Introduction, OH&S, laboratory work, ethics and record keeping. |
|
Workshop |
Presentation Skills [Rosengren, Thor, Hilliard] Workshop 1. 3 minute presentation of proposed research by each student. |
|
Workshop |
Presentation Skills [Rosengren, Thor, Hilliard] Workshop 2. 3 minute presentation of proposed research by each student. |
|
Workshop |
Oral Presentation Students will present the outcomes of their research in the form of a poster for assessment. Students are expected to attend their peers' presentations. |
|
Workshop |
Oral Presentation Students will present the outcomes of their research in the form of a poster for assessment. Students are expected to attend their peers' presentations. |
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.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: