Prospectus

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First Project: Research

Course
2023-2024

Admission requirements

You can only participate in the First Research Project after successful registration for the Astronomy master’s programme in the following specialisations: Astronomy Research, Astronomy and Cosmology, Astronomy and Data Science or Astronomy and Instrumentation. Click here for admission and application requirements for the Astronomy master's programme.

The First Research Project can only be started in consultation with the Astronomy study advisor. For detailed practical information and procedures, visit the Astronomy master's research projects page on the student's website for more information on duration and deadlines.

Description

Astronomy master's students in the specialisations Astronomy Research, Astronomy and Cosmology, Astronomy and Data Science or Astronomy and Instrumentation carry out two astronomy research projects: the First Research Project and the Master’s Research Project. The First and Master's Research Projects must be on different topics. Students in the Astronomy and Business Studies (BS), Astronomy and Science Communication and Society (SCS) or Astronomy and Education specialisations carry out only the Master’s Research Project.

The First Research Project is an important first step in your training as an Astronomy master's student at Leiden University. During a period covering at least half of the first year, your engage in state-of-the-art research, supervised by a Leiden Observatory scientific staff member. You are free to choose your research topic along the full spectrum of modern astrophysics. Projects may involve observations, theory, simulation and hands-on experimentation. During the First Research Project, you are hosted at Leiden Observatory; you will get a desk, a computer, and attend regular meetings within your research group. The First Research Project is concluded with a thesis.

For detailed practical information and procedures, visit the Astronomy master's research projects page on the student's website.

Course objectives

  • Gaining experience with academic research

  • Translating an astronomy-related problem into a relevant research question

  • Drafting an appropriate research plan to investigate your research question

  • Performing independent and accurate research, according to methodological and scientific standards

  • Discussing the outcomes of your research and linking them with scientific theories

  • Indicating the relevance of your own astronomy research for science and society

  • Critically reflecting on your own research work

  • Comprehensibly reporting research results in writing

Timetable

The First Research Project must be carried out in the first year of the two-year Astronomy master's programme. The project covers 30 EC, which equals 30 x 28 hrs = 840 hrs of research work. The maximum duration in calendar time of the First Research Project is 9 months. However, if the First Research Project is started more than 9 months before 1 November of the first year of the Astronomy master's programme, the deadline is extended to 1 August for students who started the programme in September. For students who started the programme in February, this deadline is extended to 1 January if the First Research Project is started before 1 April of the first year.

For more information on duration and deadlines, visit the Astronomy master's research projects page on the student's website.

Mode of instruction

Research

Assessment method

  • Assessment of research work (27 EC)

  • Thesis (3 EC)

See also the Master Research Project Grading Form and the Master Research Project Evaluation Form on the Astronomy master's research projects page on the student's website.

Reading list

Registration

From the academic year 2022-2023 on every student has to register for courses with the new enrollment tool MyStudyMap. There are two registration periods per year: registration for the fall semester opens in July and registration for the spring semester opens in December. Please see this page for more information.

Please note that it is compulsory to both preregister and confirm your participation for every exam and retake. Not being registered for a course means that you are not allowed to participate in the final exam of the course. Confirming your exam participation is possible until ten days before the exam.

Extensive FAQ's on MyStudymap can be found here.

Contact

Remarks

  • Please note that the First Research Project is only open to Astronomy master's students in the specialisations Astronomy Research, Astronomy and Cosmology, Astronomy and Data Science or Astronomy and Instrumentation.

  • Keep in mind that the First Research Project and the Master's Research Project must be on different topics.

Soft skills
In this course, students will be trained in the following behaviour-oriented skills:

  • Problem solving (recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking)

  • Analytical skills (analytical thinking, abstraction, evidence)

  • Structured thinking (structure, modulated thinking, computational thinking, programming)

  • Project management (planning, scope, boundaries, result-orientation)

  • Responsibility (ownership, self-discipline, bear mistakes, accountability)

  • Motivation (commitment, pro-active attitude, initiative)

  • Self-regulation (independence, self-esteem, aware of own goals, motives and capacities)

  • Verbal communication (presenting, speaking, listening)

  • Written communication (writing skills, reporting, summarizing)

  • Collaboration (teamwork, group support, loyalty, attendance)

  • Flexibility (adaptability, dealing with change, teachability, eagerness to learn)

  • Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)

  • Creative thinking (resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box)

  • Integrity (honesty, moral, ethics, personal values)

  • Project dependent: Complex ICT-skills (data analysis, programming, simulations, complex ICT applications)