Module Identifier BSM1210  
Module Title STATISTICS FOR RESEARCH BIOLOGISTS  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Dr Aileen R Smith  
Semester Semester 1  
Course delivery Lecture    
  Seminars / Tutorials   Seminar. 6 x 3 hours  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Group Project:  50%
Semester Assessment Investment Appraisal: Research Funding Exercise  50%
Supplementary Exam Resubmission of Funding Exercise 50% and viva voce Examination 50%  100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of the module the students will have acquired a broader understanding of the spectrum of skills required to be an effective researcher.


Aims

The aims of the module are to develop some of the skills required for the professional management of a research project and for the effective commercialisation of scientific ideas. Emphasis is placed on interactive teaching and case studies.

Content

The module will cover managing a research project, including planning the timetable and setting objectives and deadlines, personal record keeping, experimental design and analysis of data. This section will also focus on the roles and responsibilities of the student and the supervisor.

The module will consider the public perception of science, how this influences scientific commercialisation, and its relationship to scientific ethics including falsification of data and plagiarism and the role of statutory regulatory bodies.

A major part of the module will deal with the wealth creation aspects of the science component, covering technology transfer, intellectual copyright management, budgeting, bridging commercial and research cultures and provision of the vocational element. These aspects will be explored through two or three in-depth case studies of transferable skills to industry based on real life examples from IBS, UWA and IGER and will include staff from the Industrial Liaison Office and Aberystwyth Science Park as well as scientists directly involved.

The seminars and case studies will form the centre of the training programme and the
module will culminate in the planning development, costing and writing of a research grant application and/or project for commercial funding.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7