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LSC-30102 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

LSC-30102 - Research Project
Coordinator: Glenn Hussey Room: HUX102A Tel: +44 1782 7 33880
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

Your research project is an excellent opportunity for you to carry out a substantial piece of meaningful research, drawing together skills in experimental study design, critical interpretation of data, and communication to both a scientific and non-scientific audience.
You can choose from a range of projects, depending on your interests/career ambitions, including lab- or field-based research, systematic reviews, bioinformatics, teaching and learning, or outreach. In addition to a project report, you will also present outcomes as an oral presentation and research poster at our Level 6 Undergraduate Student Conference.

Aims
To provide students with the experience of working safely in a research environment, enhance their evidence-based approach to solving problems and further develop both their analytical skills in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating scientific problems and ability to independently gather and analyse experimental data.

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically review current literature to provide up-to-date, scientific context to a research problem: 1
design a robust methodological approach to investigate a scientific problem: 1
identify potential ethical challenges and develop appropriate justification for scientific pursuit within an appropriate framework: 1,2
identify risks and hazards and apply fundamental principles of health and safety legislation to devise appropriate risk assessments: 2
generate and analyse appropriate data set(s) and present to a scientific audience: 1,4
interpret complex scientific data and relate that to current literature: 1,4
appraise own work to identify strengths, limitations and ways to improve: 1
conduct yourself in the research environment in a professional manner (for example, technical competence, note taking, record-keeping, time-keeping etc): 2
communicate complex scientific findings to a mixed audience: 3,4

Study hours

IN-SITU LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
2x 1-hour in-situ seminars
6x 1-hour online drop-ins
2x 1-hour assessment workshops
14 hours: meetings with supervisor
8 hours attendance to Level 6 undergraduate student conference
DIRECTED LEARNING
120 hours: data generation and analysis
INDEPENDENT STUDY AND ASSESSMENT:
80 hours preparation of dissertation
20 hours preparation of oral presentation
20 hours preparation of research poster
28 hours independent learning


School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Dissertation weighted 60%
9,000 word (maximum) dissertation
The dissertation should comprise: a critical review of the background literature contextualising your problem and bringing the subject up-to-date; accurate methodologies demonstrating understanding of underlying principles, ensuring quality assurance, recognising and limiting potential risks and hazards and justifying ethical concerns and statistical approach; accurate and concise data presentation and a frank analysis of all findings linked to current literature and the potential for future work.

2: Competence weighted 20%
Professional Skills Assessment
Marks are awarded to each student based on a range of professional skills that the student is able to demonstrate across the project. Skills include: awareness of and compliance with health and safety; ethics; time keeping; organisation; independence; preparation; technical competence; problem solving and communication skills.

3: Presentation weighted 0%
5-10 minute oral presentation
Students will present a 5-10 minute summary of their research during the Level 6 undergraduate student conference. Weighting is set at pass/fail to mitigate student anxiety around presentations, given the higher stakes format of presenting during an undergraduate conference.

4: Poster weighted 20%
Research Poster
Students will produce a research poster to summarise and contextualise the key findings of their research project. These will be displayed during the Level 6 undergraduate student conference.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025