Students

MOLS8902 – Molecular Sciences Research Experience

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Paul Haynes
paul.haynes@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MBiotech) and (40cp at 8000 level or above) and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students the opportunity to undertake a research project/internship supervised by leaders in the area of molecular sciences within the context of Natural Sciences. Students will acquire research skills, including literature searching, project planning, experimental design, data analysis and scientific communication. Interested students should contact potential supervisors in their preferred research areas to discuss available projects.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Conduct research to solve problems in areas relevant to molecular sciences or radiopharmaceutical science.
  • ULO2: Use laboratory skills common in molecular sciences or radiopharmaceutical science and conduct laboratory work in a safe and responsible manner.
  • ULO3: Collect, record and critically interpret their research findings.
  • ULO4: Critically analyse and interpret published literature of relevance to their research.
  • ULO5: Communicate in written and oral format their research findings to scientific audiences.

General Assessment Information

General Faculty Policy on assessment submission deadlines and late submissions: 

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.

All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero unless late submissions are specifically allowed as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn.

If late submissions are permitted as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn a consistent penalty will be applied for late submissions as follows: 

A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

 

Off-shore students

Off-shore students must email the convenor as soon as possible to discuss study options.

 

 

COVID Information and on-campus classes

On-campus teaching continues to be scheduled for Session 1, 2022. Masks are compulsory for all classes in indoor spaces and social distancing will be implemented wherever possible. Students will also be required to sanitise surfaces before and after use.

 

Students are requested to minimise the risk of spreading COVID to themselves and others in accordance with the university and NSW Health guidelines: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs and https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe.

 

Any further requirements or changes to units in relation to COVID will be communicated to students via iLearn.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Review and research plan 0% No week 3
Research report 95% No 10th June 2022
Seminar 5% No Week 11 or 12

Review and research plan

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: week 3
Weighting: 0%

You will develop a literature review and research/internship plan for submission to your supervisor. Feedback will be given on the report by the supervisor.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse and interpret published literature of relevance to their research.

Research report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 10th June 2022
Weighting: 95%

The report will be examined by two examiners plus the supervisor. Format of the report is flexible, but will include the revised literature review suitable for a short report in thesis format.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Conduct research to solve problems in areas relevant to molecular sciences or radiopharmaceutical science.
  • Use laboratory skills common in molecular sciences or radiopharmaceutical science and conduct laboratory work in a safe and responsible manner.
  • Collect, record and critically interpret their research findings.
  • Critically analyse and interpret published literature of relevance to their research.
  • Communicate in written and oral format their research findings to scientific audiences.

Seminar

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 11 or 12
Weighting: 5%

A 20-min seminar presentation to the Department will be scheduled during the exam week to give the student an opportunity to present research aims and outcomes.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate in written and oral format their research findings to scientific audiences.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

8902 is an independent study unit of research experience. Students need to find a supervisor who is available and willing to provide them with a project in an area they are interested in. Once  enrolled, they should be able to see on the iLearn site that there is a copy of the Molecular Sciences Research Booklet, which is a good place to start looking. They can also consult departmental and school websites for more information. They need to contact potential supervisors via email and discuss it with them, preferably well in advance.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook