2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

BIOL5395M Industrial placement & Research project (FT)

60 creditsClass Size: 33

Module manager: Dr Alasdair Pickles
Email: a.r.pickles@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: 1 Apr to 30 Apr (13mth) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

Pre-requisite qualifications

A first degree (BSc hons) in a Biological Sciences subject, Bioprocessing or Biochemical Engineering: class 2(i) or above.

Module replaces

BIOL5396M - Research Project (for MSc BD industrial placement)

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module is designed to provide students with experience of practical research and work through the completion of a 12 month work placement. The placement will involve a substantial research project (60 credits) completed in industry (path 1) or an industrial-focused research project hosted within academic laboratories with the University of Leeds (Path 2). During this placement, students will become an employee of the organisation (path 1) or will receive a stipend (path 2) and will be subject to their working practices and conditions. Through the project, students will gain in-depth practical experience of at least one technical function of the drug development process (pre-competitive research, discovery, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, clinical safety and efficacy). In addition, the placement will provide substantial opportunities to enhance a range of transferable skills including developing professional relationships with others, teamwork, and communication skills.

Objectives

The objectives are to:
- Provide in-depth practical training and research experience in an area of biological drug discovery or development;
- Provide experience of applying student learning within a professional work environment;
- Provide the opportunity to develop a broad portfolio of transferable skills that improves student competitiveness in the biopharmaceutical employment sector.

Learning outcomes
On completion of the module, students should be able to:
1. Design, plan and execute an independent, in-depth research project in an area of biological drug development;
2. Apply cutting-edge knowledge and practical techniques of the biological drug development process in an industrial setting;
3. Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the legal regulatory framework and its implementation in biological drug development;
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the commercial and cultural environment in which they have worked;
5. Demonstrate a range of scientific and transferable skills including those associated with teamwork, problem-solving, project management and communication;
6. Demonstrate an awareness of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for a career in biologics development.

Skills outcomes
- Analytical skills
- Commercial awareness
- Critical thinking
- Planning & organisation
- Research skills

Syllabus

An integral part of the programme is a period of practical research (60 credits) through which students gain in-depth practical experience of at least one technical function of the drug development process (discovery, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, clinical safety and efficacy). To acquire this, we offer two routes through the programme, a placement in industry (path 1) or a placement hosted within the university research laboratories developed and co-supervised with industry (path 2). We anticipate path 2 being taken up by only a small number of students. The placements will all include a research project component that equates to 80 credits worth of work.

Our process for allocation of projects will be as follows: we will make available a list of placement providers and associated projects in approximately November of the academic year following presentations from the placement providers. Students will indicate their placement preferences, giving a rank order of preference and will be allocated one of the placements with respect to that form and also competitively (in competition with others in their peer-group). The students will be allocated to a placement based on their selection process and will be informed of their allocation. Students will normally receive a salary or stipend during their placement module.

Supervision arrangements: all students will be allocated an industry and academic supervisor. For students on placements outside of the university, the primary supervisor will be the industry supervisor and vice versa for students undertaking placements within the university. There will be regular meetings with the primary project supervisor, normally on a weekly basis, with the student maintaining a pro forma record of the outcome of meetings.

The projects will commence in May, approximately six-months after the start of the programme and will be completed by the following May. Assessment of projects will be finalised by the end of June, enabling students to graduate in July.

Assessment will be through a final dissertation and an oral presentation on their research work.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Supervision	50	0.50	25.00
Induction Session	1	8.00	8.00
Practical	1	400.00	400.00
Seminar	1	1.00	1.00
Private study hours			166.00
Total Contact hours			434.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			600.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Project supervision meetings. Meetings with the primary supervisor will take place normally weekly. Meetings with the secondary supervisor will take place quarterly.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay or Dissertation	Dissertation of no more than 7,000 words	80.00
Oral Presentation	Formative online oral presentation	0.00
Oral Presentation	Verbal presentation	20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Formative oral presentation will be completed by the end of September approximately 4 months into the placement.

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 24/04/2023

Disclaimer

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• Undergraduate module catalogue
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• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

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