Postgraduate Prospectus 2010/11 - European Scientific Research Training

Course Outline

Faculty of Natural Sciences
School of Life Sciences
European Scientific Research Training

Research rating: 4C

Awards: MRes, Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate

Course Director and Contact: Dr Dave Hoole

Address: School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG

Tel: 01782 734467
Fax: 01782 584516

Email: d.hoole@keele.ac.uk
Website: http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/bi/

Keele University has developed collaborative relationships with a number of European research institutes, and now wishes to build on this experience to enable well-qualified students to develop their scientific training and employment skills within a European context. We believe that this will help to develop future employees with a European outlook, competent in at least one European language in addition to English.

Students will spend the first part of the course at Keele, and will undertake a placement in a European research institute as laboratory research assistants, working on projects in the host institution and pursuing a programme of research training. Financial support may be available to support some students during their placements.

The aim of the course is to enhance the employment prospects of science graduates by developing and improving their scientific, laboratory and language skills. The course will also provide basic skills in vocational and education training through the students’ work programmes. At the end of the training period students will:

• have systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the subject
• have conceptual understanding to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline
• be able to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses
• have developed scientific skills and knowledge, and transferable skills, in a European workplace setting
• have comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research
• be able to record and reflect on skills and learning from the research laboratory experience through the ‘Realise’ scheme
• be conversant with the running of a modern biological research laboratory
• have developed skills in an appropriate European language, including scientific vocabulary
• have developed organisational and commercial awareness. Work and achievement on the programme will be documented in the EU Europass (a kind of record of achievement signed by all parties), and students are required to pursue the University’s ‘Realise’ scheme which enables them to identify their personal and professional skills and development needs.

Applicants are expected to have an honours degree in a life science discipline, normally first or second class (or overseas equivalent). Students for whom English is not their first language will be required to fulfil the normal English Language requirements of the University (IELTS 6.0 with 5 in each sub-test, or equivalent).

The course is full-time for 12 months, starting in September. The first period, September to January, is spent at Keele, and the period February to August (about 30 weeks) is spent in a European host institution. Students return Keele to submit their final dissertation and portfolio in September.

Keele-based Programme (30 credits)

During the first Keele-based part of the programme, students will take the following modules:

Structured Scientific Research Training (20 credits)
Language Training (10 credits)

Students will take modules appropriate to their research training language needs, in preparation for their European placement.

Students be required to pass the research training before being permitted to up their placement. Students who fail the language module may tak the placement but will be required to be reassessed during April.

Host Institution Programme (150 credits)

Students will take up a placement in a European host research institution appropriate for their scientific interests. Placements are available in the countries and disciplines listed below. For full details of each placement available look on the website.

Countries :France, TheNetherlands, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Norway

Disciplines: immunology, fisheries ,neuroscience, entomology,parasitology, medicalsciences

There are limited places in each host institution (maybe only one, rarely more than two) so it is important to apply early. During the placement students will be working within research laboratories alongside research teams, undertaking laboratory training and pursuing a specific laboratory-based research project which will have been negotiated and agreed by all parties prior to the placement. Students will be integrated into the training programmes of the host institution, and will have a named tutor responsible for their programme. The placement will lead to completion of two modules:

European research training portfolio (40 credits)
European research report/dissertation(110credits)

In order to obtain the Masters degree students are required to pass all 180credits. Students who pass the Structured scientific research training (20 credits) and the European research report/dissertation (110 credits) but fail one or more other modules maybe awarded the Postgraduate Diploma (130 credits). Students who pass the Structured scientific research training (20credits) and the Research training portfolio (40 credits)but fail one or more other modules may be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits). Note that all modules are at level 4 except the language module which will be level 1.

The costs of the course for a student will include tuition fees, living costs,and travel and insurance for the period of the placement. For the period of the placement, living costs may be higher or lower than in the UK, depending on the country chosen. Travel costs will also depend on the country chosen. (Assistance in obtaining accommodation will be given by the Accommodation Office at Keele University and by the European host partner.) For eligible students, some funding support from the European Union may be available. In order to be eligible, students must be EU or EEA nationals who are taking up a placement in a country which is not their own. Up to €5000 is available to funded students to support the costs of their placement in the host institution (travel, insurance and living costs).Up to 10 funded places are available. In addition,Keele is offering fee bursaries of £2,250 (contribution to tuition fees only). Any student taking this course is eligible to apply.