Prospectus

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Introductory Research Project (Bioinformatics)

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

Not applicable.

Description

A research project deals with research and innovation. It is not as extensive as a Master's thesis research project, but it serves as a good introduction to managing and conducting scientific research.
The research project is open to students following the Bioinformatics specialisation, under the supervision of a research staff member at LIACS. Research can be conducted at Leiden University, or as part of an internship at another institution or company.
Research projects are typically scientific projects which are smaller in scope than a thesis, but they could also involve extending and improving an algorithm, conducting systematic tests and comparisons between methods, or writing a survey article covering the latest developments in a field. Topics can be proposed by students or staff, but the research project can only begin after the research project has been approved by the study advisor and/or the Board of Bioinformatics.

Course objectives

By means of a research project, the student learns to:

  • study and understand scientific literature reflecting the latest developments in a specific field of research,

  • make an independent analysis of scientific problems,

  • interrelate and integrate various areas of a specific field of research,

  • write a scientific report/article about the results of his/her analysis of a particular field of research or topic of interest in that field, and

  • propose modifications to existing methods or algorithms, or put forward their own research ideas based on the results of their analyses.

Timetable

The most recent timetable can be found at the Computer Science (MSc) student website.

In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.

Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.

Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.

Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.

Mode of instruction

  • Weekly/bi-weekly supervision by a LIACS staff member and/or others from the associated research group

  • Writing a scientific essay/project report.

Course Load

Hours of Study 18 EC project: 504
Practical work/Research: 384
Report writing: 120

Hours of study 15 EC project: 420
Practical work/Research: 300
Report writing: 120

Hourse of study 12 EC project: 336
Practical work/Research: 216
Report writing: 120

Assessment method

The final mark is determined by the assessment of the scientific essay/project report.

Reading list

Not applicable. Students will read scientific literature on the topic of study.

Registration

You do not have to enroll in MyStudyMap for this course.

Course-specific information:
The introductory research project should only be conducted upon agreement with the study advisor and after a topic and supervisor have been determined.

Contact

Dr. L. Cao

Remarks

The research project is typically undertaken in semester 3/Fall semester of the second year.

Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.