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Extended Medical Mycology Project

Module description

This module is an essential component of the MRes Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology. BIOM538 is an extended project for clinicians, equivalent to the two sequential projects undertaken by non-clinical MRes students (BIOM536 and BIOM537). This module will give you direct experience of conducting cutting-edge scientific research under the guidance of internationally renowned scientists in the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology.

You will conduct your own medical mycology project, which you have selected from a pool of state-of-the-art research projects that have undergone prior peer review. Clinical trainees are welcome to suggest areas of interest, although we cannot guarantee that such projects will be feasible or pass peer review. Under the supervision of a member of staff, you will be expected to develop responsibility for the design, planning and implementation of the study, as well as analysing the data and reporting on the research project. There is the potential to present your work at a scientific conference, and possibly even to publish your work in an academic journal. This project will provide valuable experience of managing original scientific research, from its inception through to completion. This scientific training will enrich your clinical training, will provide great insight into the way in which academic research is performed, and will be a valuable asset should you want to pursue a career as a clinical academic. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are:

• To familiarise you with the existing scientific literature in your study area, and teach you to assimilate this knowledge in a succinct and critical manner.
• To give you experience of undertaking a substantial research project and to put into practice the knowledge you have acquired from other modules in the MRes Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology programme.

By the end of this module, you will have reviewed and assimilated existing literature relating to your study area, and carried out a piece of original research (or research which extends our knowledge on a topic), analysed the results using appropriate methods and learned how to disseminate the results in an appropriate manner.

In addition, the module will allow you to further develop the following academic and professional skills:

• Problem solving: linking theory to practice, developing your own ideas with confidence, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems.
• Managing structure: identifying key demands of the project, setting clearly defined goals, responding flexibly to changing priorities.
• Time management: managing time effectively, individually and as part of a research team.
• Collaboration: taking initiative and leading others, potentially maintaining group cohesiveness and purpose.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Critically and independently assess the field in which your research project will be conducted.
• 2. Independently design and present a means of dealing with a critical research issue.
• 3. Follow systematically and consistently the phases of a research project, i.e. hypothesis generation, experimental design, data collection, data analysis and report writing using methods and techniques agreed with your supervisor.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Analyse and critically evaluate essential facts and theory across a sub-discipline of the biosciences and embed research-informed examples from the literature in written work.
• 5. Deploy established techniques of analysis, investigation, and enquiry within the biosciences.oblems in fungal immunology.
• 6. Deploy established techniques of analysis, investigation, and enquiry within the biosciences.
• 7. Evaluate in detail, and critique, approaches to our understanding of fungal immunology with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Devise, and sustain independently, a logical and reasoned argument with convincing conclusions.
• 9. Effectively communicate arguments, evidence, and conclusions in a range of complex and specialised contexts using a variety of formats to specialist and non-specialist audiences both in the written report and in an oral presentation.
• 10. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data and complete a range of research tasks independently.
• 11. Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to graduate-level professional and research skills, and act autonomously to develop new areas of skills as necessary demonstrating the skills and attitudes needed to advance own knowledge and understanding.
• 12. Reflect effectively and independently on learning experiences and evaluate critically personal achievements.

Syllabus plan

BIOM538 (Extended Project) starts in week T1:09. Earlier in the year you will receive a list of peer-reviewed research projects and potential supervisors, from which you will prioritise your choices. Following the allocation of your project and supervisor, they will provide the primary source of guidance on your project. You will then work with them to design and conduct your project. At the start of your project you will receive inductions that prepare you for research work. Your research work, data collection and data analysis will then extend through Terms 2 and 3 and into the summer, with supervisory meetings held regularly by arrangement.

Your professionalism including your intellectual contributions project design, planning implementation, analysis, interpretation and report planning throughout the duration of the project, will be assessed against guidelines provided (research performance). In addition, you will submit a final project report in the form of a paper that is prepared in the format of a specific scientific journal. You will also present a talk on your project to two  assessors and answer their questions. The module convenor will meet with you before these three assessments to provide guidance on their format and how best to prepare for them.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons that are approved by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. If deferred, the format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). The mark given for a deferred assessment will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral - if you have failed the module (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) and the module cannot be condoned, you will be required to complete a re-assessment for each of the failed components on the module. The format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). If you pass the module following re-assessment, your module mark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• As agreed between you and your project supervisors. Reference will be made to the most recent articles and reports in the field and will focus on the primary literature.

Also of use when planning and writing up the project will be:

• Ruxton, G.D. and Colegrave, N. (2006) Experimental Design for the Life Sciences. OUP. ISBN 01992 52327
• Barass, R (2002) Scientists Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing for Scientists, Engineers and Students.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• Exeter Learning Environment (ELE)
  
• MRC CMM: http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/

Key words search

Fungal immunology, fungal disease, independent research, literature review, hypothesis generation, experimental design, data analysis, data collection, project management, time management, research methodologies, critical evaluation.