Handbook for Students

2016/17

Table of Contents

1. Induction

1.1 MacBooks

1.2 Registration

1.3 Pre-Arrival at Warwick (for students who will be registered at University of Birmingham or University of Leicester)

1.4 Pre-Arrival at Warwick (for students who will be registered at University of Warwick)

1.5 Everyone: Before you arrive at Warwick5

1.6 Registering at Birmingham (For non-Birmingham students)5

1.7Registering at Leicester (for non-Leicester students)

1.8 Accommodation

1.9 Change of University Policy

2. Taught modules

2.1 Quantitative skills module

3. Masterclasses

4. Mini-projects 1 and 2 (Spring and Summer Terms)

5. Professional Internship for PhD students - PIPS (Summer term)

6. Course Work information

6.1 Marking guidelines

6.2 Coursework deadlines, penalties and extensions

6.3 First year score

6.4 Information made available to potential supervisors

6.5 Plagiarism

7. PhD Project

7.1 PhD projects

7.2 PhD thesis submission

8. Personal Development

9. Cohort meetings and events

10. Finances

10.1 Core payments

10.2 Additional support

11. Years 2– 4

12. Important Information

12.1 Attendance monitoring

12. 2 Personal details and e-mail accounts

12. 3 Car parking at Warwick

12.4 Laboratory safety and Lab coats

12.5 SSLC

12.6 PG Hub

12.7 Student Support Services

12.8 Annual Leave and sickness

12.9 Insurance

12.10 MIBTP Website

12.11 Photographs

12.12 Researchfish

12.13 Data Protection

12.14 Confidentiality

12.15 Contact details:

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Year 1 Interactive Training Programme

MIBTP recognises the need for skills training, cohort development and professional internships. Therefore, cohort training will be based in purpose-devised learning and social space and students will all start their degree with a period of hands-on training from experts in both dry and wet experimentation.The training year is split into four 3-month periods as shown below. Period 1 is fixed but the order of mini-projects and PIPS in periods 2 to 4 is flexible – the “default setting” is shown.

Period / Activity / Location
1. October - December / Taught modules
Masterclasses / Warwick
All 3 Universities
2. January - March / Mini-project 1 / Away University
3. April - June / PIPS / Your choice
4. July - September / Mini-project 2 / Home University

This is interspersed with compulsory cohort training events, which are detailed further into the handbook.

1. Induction

MIBTP students are expected to attend induction the week before Warwick term starts (note that term dates are not the same for each university). This will include pre-sessional mathematics and other training so that everyone can make the most of the modules in term 1. It will also include some team building exercises, skills training and presentation of posters by students finishing year 1 to allow contact between cohorts and a window on research opportunities. For 2016 this isw/c 26th Septemberand will take place solely at Warwick. Final details will be sent to you before you join us. This information will also be uploaded to the induction page on the MIBTP intranetwelcome pages

1.1 MacBooks

All MIBTP students will be issued with a 13” MacBook. This is expected to support you for the duration of your PhD. The MacBook is suited to the datasets you will use in training and the large datasets which many of you will encounter during your PhD. MacBookswill be issued during induction week at Warwick (and you will be advised how you will get this accepted by your local IT servers if you are to be based at Birmingham or Leicester). They will be registered and supported at Warwick for the duration of your training. Local support will also be available from your local University.

Please note that the MacBook remains the property of the University of Warwick and must be returned on completion of the programme for software licensing requirements.

1.2 Registration

All MIBTP students will be registered at each university to make it simpler to access facilities during training / cohort events. The following information concerns registration at Warwick (for all students). With regards to registering at Birmingham and Leicester (for students not registered at these universities), you will be emailed the relevant forms to complete along with details of where to submit them.

1.3 Pre-Arrival at Warwick (for students who will be registered at University of Birmingham or University of Leicester)

As you will be completing your term 1 training at the University of Warwick and visiting Warwick periodically during your studies for cohort meetings, mini-projects etc.you must register at Warwick as visiting students. Registering at Warwick will enable you to gain access to University buildings, library and IT facilities etc.

How to register

  • Please complete a Warwick Postgraduate Application form Select Course code: P-C1PBA: Life Sciences PhD (Leicester and Birmingham students only)
  • References: Please leave the reference section blank (or enter not applicable) as we do not require references to be submitted. If you enter referee email addresses an email will automatically be sent to the referee requesting a reference.
  • Please note that you will not be required to submit any documents. This exercise is purely to add you into the Warwick system.

1.4 Pre-Arrival at Warwick (for students who will be registered at University of Warwick)

It is important for you to have received (and accepted) an unconditional offer of a place at Warwick before your start date. If you haven't yet received an unconditional offer please ensure that any conditions set out in your offer email are satisfied as soon as possible.

1.5 Everyone: Before you arrive at Warwick

Once you have an unconditional offer, there are a number of things you will need to do to complete your registration:

  • Upload a photo for your University ID Card - Students must submit their photograph by Friday 2ndSeptember. Online photo submission is now open.
  • Enrolment- Enrolment is the term used to describe your official registration as a student at the University of Warwick. Online enrolment opens approximately 4-6 weeks before the start of term and should be completed before you arrive at the University.
  • Once you have enrolled you should then apply for your IT Services account.

The Welcome to Warwick pages may provide useful information for you.

All students will also register at Birmingham and Leicester to allow for easier connectivity when attending these universities for masterclasses and cohort events.

1.6 Registering at Birmingham (for non-Birmingham students)

In order to register at Birmingham, you will need to complete the Birmingham registration form and return to Matt Phillips via email ().

1.7 Registering at Leicester (for non-Leicester students)

In order to register at Leicester, please complete the Leicester registration form (see the welcome page for form) and return to Dr Jonathan McDearmid via email().

1.8Accommodation

You will see from the information in this handbook that you will need to attend a university away from the one you are to be registered at for significant periods of year 1. In particular, in Term 1 you will need to be able to attend Warwick for all the quantitative training run by the Warwick Systems Biology Centre. You will not be able to restrict your choice of masterclass to one university and you must take at least one of your mini-projects away from your place of registration. Transport for some collective activities may be provided, but you will need to organise daily or weekly travel to suit the choices you make.

A one off stipend uplift payment of £850 will be paid at the start of term 1 to reflect this and assist with extra travel costs. This will be paid into your account at the same time as your first stipend payment at the beginning of October.

Each University will also offer some assistance in finding suitable short-term accommodation.

1.9Change of University Policy

The MIBTP programme receives half its funding from BBSRC and half as matched funding from the individual Universities. BBSRC now requires all students associated with a DTP to be formally registered on JeS (the Research Council database). This requires students to receive at least 50% BBSRC funding, and therefore all students in MIBTP are receiving funds from the BBSRC and matched funds from their University. This funding arrangement means that it is not possible for MIBTP students to transfer their primary registration between partner Universities, for example if you have a studentship at Warwick, you cannot move to Leicester or Birmingham for your PhD project. However, we want to encourage collaborations between the Universities and are very keen to see projects that depend on facilities and expertise at more than one University.

2. Taught modules

The first term will begin with the following compulsory taught module:

2.1 Quantitative skills module

The Quantitative skills modules will take place in term 1. This module provides training in the quantitative skills that you will use in your PhD projects. There are three elements to the module:

  1. Statistics, which provides grounding in applying statistical methods to data,
  2. Computer programming to make you less dependent on existing software tools
  3. Data analysis methodology, which will enable students to undertake complex data analysis tasks.

Students will be given free time each week for independent taught module study.

3. Masterclasses

A series of bespoke Masterclasses will be on offer each week during the Autumn Term from week 6 onwards. Masterclasses are a set of hands-on workshops in selected, advanced research skills and technologies. You will choose classes to suit your personal development needs. You must choose classes that deliver a minimum of 12 days engagement, but may choose as many as you wish subject to availability (and your timetable).

  • There are Masterclassesat all three Universities with instruction from world experts.
  • These workshops will be as ‘hands-on’ as possible - you will participate wherever this is possible. You will be advised in advance of items (e.g. lab coats) you need to take with you.
  • Some are short, one-day events, others are up to 3 days
  • You will be asked to choose from a list of masterclasses within the first two weeks of joining us. We will check numbers (many activities are necessarily restricted) then finalise your selections around mid-October.
  • Masterclasses will incorporate a compulsory exercise with a tangible output that allows the person running the Masterclass to assess whether you have achieved the learning objectives of the class. You are expected to achieve a pass in the coreMasterclasses you undertake that add up to the minimum 12 days required.
  • Masterclases are listed on the relevant pages of the MIBTP intranet

Masterclass feedback

We would appreciate feedback on the masterclasses – even brief – to help us improve them for next year.

If you could fill in the feedback form – found here: for your masterclasses, or even some of them, that would be great.

Please send the form to the MIBTP administrator () who will collate the information.

4. Mini-projects 1 and 2 (Spring and Summer Terms)

You will beprovided with a list of potential supervisors from all three universities who arehappy to offer mini-projects within their research groups (you are not limited to these supervisors or projects and can approach any supervisor of your choice so long as their research meets the BBSRC criteria). You will need to find out more about research areas of interest and approach supervisors you would like to work with to discuss projects in more detail. You will be asked to submit the details of your first chosen project via an online submission form (details will be provided by the MIBTP Administrator) by the given deadline. You can submit details of both mini-projects at the same time if you know them; however, you can choose your second mini-project at a later date. The Administrator will prompt you when such information is required.

  • Mini-projects are for 3 months.
  • You will take two mini-projects. You have freedom tochoose any new lab environment or technique you wish. You should discuss this with the MIBTP Directors who can advise you bearing in mind your interest and likely area of PhD research. The more active you are in devising the content of your project with your chosen supervisor the more it should meet your personal development goals.
  • We encourage you to choose one mini-project which is ‘wet’ science (laboratory-based) and one ‘dry’ (computer, informatics, modellingetc). To include a mix of each skillset in each project is also acceptable.
  • The suggested schedule is for mini-project 1 to start in January and the second in July. The second will usually lead directly into your PhD (starting October 2017), but this is not a requirement. Alternative ordering is possible.
  • NOTE: MIBTP requires that one of your mini-projects is done at a venue that is not the university at which you are registered. As noted above, we suggest you discuss this with the MIBTP Directors and select this “away” mini-project to give you technical skills and/or an experimental approach that could be useful to your PhD, but is not generally available at your “home” institution.
  • Each student will have access to a consumables budget of £750 per mini-project.
  • Students are required to write up mini-project 1 as a mini-thesis or as a research paper. The thesis should be a maximum of 6,000 words (not including abstract, references or figure legends). The due dates for submission of the thesis or research paper will be by 5PM on the last day of the project (i.e. usually 31st March).
  • Please submit your mini-project paper or thesis (max 6,000 words) as a pdf (max file size 3 MB) with the filename Lastname_Firstname.pdf (i.e. Smith_John.pdf). The first page of your paper or mini-thesis must contain at a minimum: 1) title, 2) your name, 3) your supervisors name and 4) the University at which the project took place.
  • Submissions that fail to adhere to these guidelines will not be accepted. More detailed guidelines for writing your mini-thesis or research paper can be found in Appendix 1 at the end of this document.
  • The thesis or paper will be marked by the project supervisor and by a second marker. Your final mark will be made up as follows: 65% project write up (average of the two markers) and 35% research performance mark from your supervisor. A postgraduate marking scheme can be found on the following pages.
  • Assessment for the second mini-project is in the form of a poster. Posters should be A0 in size and of portrait orientation. The due dates for submission of the poster will be by 5PM on the last day of the project where you have completed your second mini-project April to June (i.e. 30th June) and mid-September (date to be advised) where you have completed your second mini-project July to September (this is to allow for printing of the posters to take place before the poster presentation which takes place the week before the start of the new University year). Please submit your poster as a pdf (max file size 3 MB) with the filename Lastname_Firstname_poster.pdf (i.e. Smith_John_poster.pdf).
  • Submissions that fail to adhere to these guidelines will not be accepted.
  • Posters will graded at the poster presentation day (late September) and scores will be sent to you as soon as possible after this date.
  • You will be graded on the visual impression of the poster (25%), scientific content (50%) and engagement during presentation / knowledge of topic (25%).
  • Mini-project information can be found in the training section of the MIBTP intranet

5. Professional Internship for PhD students - PIPS (Summer term)

BBSRC requires each student to complete a ProfessionalInternship for PhD Students (PIPS) in a professional employment environment. The PIPSmust not relate directly to your PhD project or be scientific research, but you may go to a relevant company as long as you take on a role that is not research-led. A biochemist may go to a pharma company and take a role in marketing or HR, for example. The PIPS should be 3 months and we suggest it is taken between April and June in year 1, however this is flexible as long as you complete your PIPS within year 1. If you choose to start your PIPS placement in January, you will be given the opportunity to submit the details via an online submission form (this will be emailed to you from the MIBTP Administrator) around mid November. If you choose to start your PIPS in April or June, you will be contacted beforehand and asked to submit the information.

  • All 3 universities have assembled a growing list of prospective host organisations, ranging from educators, business development offices, communicators, policy makers etc. However, if you have your own contacts, or your own ideas, it is a great way to explore a career option without obligation whilst being paid your stipend. We will try hard to support you to secure a PIPS relevant to your interests and development needs.
  • PIPS opportunities are likely to be available in many areas of professional endeavor such as communications, policy, teaching, governance etc., not just industrial companies.
  • PIPS are intended to help early career researchers understand the broader context and impact of their research and to enable them to explore the range of career opportunities in which they can apply their PhD skills and training after they graduate. Students will gain new transferable skills during their PIPS and develop connections with potential employers.
  • Students must inform the MIBTP Administrator of their proposed PIPS choice at least a month before the start date (via an online submission form which can be found on the PIPS pages of the MIBTP intranet) so that the Directors can assess for relevance. The Administrator will contact you with regards to submission deadline dates.
  • It is a requirement of the BBRSC that all students submit a report within 3 months of completing their PIPS. The aim of the PIPS placement report is to capture information on your PIPS placement; including the major outputs, outcomes and impacts from your placement. The report also aims to capture the extent to which your PIPS placement gave you the opportunity to further develop skills or develop new skills. The information you provide in this report will be collated and made non-attributable. Your supervisors will not be able to view your response; however aggregated analyses may be shared with DTP Management Boards. The PIPS placement report is accessed via a link that is unique to each student. You will be provided with a unique link to submit the BBSRC DTP PIPS Placement Report. To access the PIP report, please contact
  • All of this information can be found in the training section on the MIBTP intranet

Leicester MIBTP students – PIPS and away mini-project