Bioinnovation Hub_web v3 – for event

STUDENT
BIOINNOVATION HUB
Department of Biological and Medical Sciences
Students of all abilities
can sign up
Mixed teams, consisting of
10 - 14 people
£20 per team; each team
must have a captain
Prizes for winning team
at the end of semester 2
Partnership in developing
the bioscience and
environmental workforce
of the future.
Graduates in the biosciences and environment sectors require a wide
range of skills to be effective in the workplace. Many of these are most
effectively developed by undertaking work experience and getting
involved in industry inspired projects.
The Oxford Brookes Student Bioinnovation Hub provides a focus
for partnerships providing work experience through placements and
projects. It is also a platform for students and external partners to
engage together in innovation.
What areas are included?
The Department of Biological and
Medical Sciences offers a wide range
of subjects, from biomedical science
and cell and molecular biology, to
plant and animal biology, conservation
and the environment. Our students
gain a wide range of computational,
analytical, laboratory and field skills
which are developed throughout their
degree programmes, which have a
strong emphasis on preparation for
employment.
How can students gain work
experience?
Work experience must be relevant to the
student’s studies, but it can be gained in
a range of different ways:
 Students may undertake voluntary
or paid work during the summer
vacation; up to 10 weeks are
available. They may also apply
to have their work experience
accredited by the University as a
part of their programme of study.
In this case, the work is preplanned, approved and reported
on so that the rules of their course
are met.
 Students may carry out their
final year project with an external
organisation, for instance
as a member of a research,
development or survey unit.
 Finally, students can take a full
year in industry as part of their
programme. Erasmus funding from
the European Community allows
students to carry out projects
or work experience with several
partners in Europe. Others take up
internships with companies in the
UK.
How can our external
partners help?
The Department keeps a register of
local, regional and national companies
and organisations willing to provide
work experience opportunities for our
students. By joining this register, and
becoming part of the Bioinnovation Hub,
you indicate willingness to consider our
students for one or more of the types of
work experience described above. You
may also be in a position to do this on
a regular basis, or just wish to respond
occasionally when an opportunity is
available.
As a member of the Bioinnovation Hub,
you may wish to offer research projects
to our students and provide them with
supervisory support and direction.
These can be lab, field or bioinformatics
based with the aim of carrying out
innovative work of real-world value.
What can our students
contribute?
At the end of the first year, all our
students have acquired a range of
We will:
transferable scientific skills, including
numerical and statistical analysis of data,
 Let out students know about
keeping a lab or field notebook, basic
the opportunity you are making
report writing and lab skills including
available;
safe working. In the second year, they go
on to acquire a range of subject specific
 Ensure that they are prepared for it; skills and undertake a research methods
module which prepares them for
 Follow an agreed application
experimental design and interpretation.
process;
Environmental biologists also gain a
range of field and survey skills. Our
 Provide you with any support
students regularly make contributions to
needed while our students are
the work of our external partners.
with you.
Case Studies
Tara Pawley, BSc Biology
Catherine Bartlett, BSc Biology
Placement with Swindon College
Placement with Synergy Health PLC
Tara participated in this placement as
part of the accredited Work Experience
module for second year students. She
contributed by providing support in
classes and preparing equipment and
reagents. Tara also controlled stock
and designed practicals, amongst other
tasks.
Catherine gained valuable practical
experience in her 4 week placement.
She tested levels of microorganisms on
medical equipment, identified bacteria,
and was involved in endotoxins testing.
In addition, she replaced stock, and
made solution for agar plates. Catherine
learnt about dealing with customer
requests, and was able to put her
skills into practice on her course’s
microbiology module.
“I learnt how to manage my time
and communicate in a work place
environment”, Tara said about this
placement. “I also learnt transferable
practical skills, such as how to calculate
reagent concentrations and amounts,
and how to follow health and safety in a
laboratory setting.” This experience has
helped prepare her for employment.
The placement was beneficial because
it showed Catherine ‘real life’ work in
a lab. She commented, “Since doing
work experience I have been offered an
apprenticeship at the lab, and have been
offered some hours work there over this
coming summer.”
To find out more about this initiative and how to contact key
Oxford Brookes University teaching and research staff, please contact:
Partnerships & Placements Manager
Bioinnovation-enquiries@brookes.ac.uk
4891
Diana Goult