Unit information: Research Skills for Biochemists in 2028/29

Unit name	Research Skills for Biochemists
Unit code	BIOC20003
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Robson
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	BIOC10007 – Fundamental Skills for Biochemists
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	BIOC20002 – Macromolecular Structure, Dynamics and Function
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Biochemistry
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?
This unit seeks to enhance research skills through the development of data handling, interpretation and scientific writing abilities, and to provide students with an appreciation of how science is conducted ethically and sustainably. It also aims to enable students to gain an understanding of how scientific ideas are funded as research projects with real world impact.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit gives students on the Biochemistry programmes more advanced training in the skills they need to study biochemistry at a research level in the final year(s) of their programme.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content
Topics covered in this unit include:

• Equality and inequality in science
• Statistics for biochemistry
• Researching and writing a grant proposal
• Ethics of human experimentation
• Ethics of animal experimentation
• Ethical data management
• Sustainability in biochemistry
• Abstracting scientific information

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
After engaging with the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. The ability to write for scientific publication and grant funding.
2. An understanding of ethical experimental design.
3. The ability to critically analyse scientific papers.
4. Data analysis and interpretation skills.
5. A basic knowledge of statistical methods appropriate to biochemistry.
6. The retrieval and evaluation of scientific information sources.
7. A basic understanding of ethics and sustainability in the biosciences.
8. The ability to communicate scientific concepts to a lay audience.
9. The ability to write technical documents such as research grant applications.
10. An understanding of how scientific ideas are funded as both research projects and commercial exploitations.
11. Collaborative teamwork and peer assessment skills.
12. Oral presentation skills.

Learning Outcomes
Learning on this unit directly addresses components of the Bristol Skills Profile, including:

• What will I learn?
• Academic skills
• Research skills
• Knowledge handling skills
• What will I be able to do?
• Work well independently
• Work well with others
• Work well across communities
• What will I become?
• Proactive about my wellbeing
• Clear about my direction
• Ready for the future

How you will learn

Teaching is normally delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities, including lectures, pre-recorded presentations, workshops, feedback/Q+A sessions, mentoring sessions and tutorials.

For some activities students are grouped into teams of 5-7 people. Peer collaboration and feedback are key to achieving the intended learning objectives.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

• Regular formative online statistics quizzes will test knowledge and understanding of the statistics content, in preparation for the summative exam. Marks and feedback will be available immediately after completing each test to help students build confidence.
• Students will get feedback from staff on a formative version of the abstract writing exercise, in preparation for the summative exam.
• The research grant proposal task includes a formative oral presentation given as a team. Feedback on this from staff and other students can be used to improve the summative written grant proposal.
• Regular tutorials provide a further opportunity for feedback from staff to direct skills development.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The components that make up the unit assessment are:

• Team Research Grant Proposal: 40%
• Scientific Abstract Writing assessment: 20%
• Statistics MCQ exam: 40%

To earn credit for this unit you must normally have made a reasonable attempt at each of the components of the unit assessment. A reasonable attempt requires a student to have undertaken the assessment activity and engaged with its purpose in the academic judgement of the relevant Unit Director, or nominee.

When assessment does not go to plan
For all components, reassessment normally involves a second attempt at the same form of assessment.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOC20003).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.