This is a highly practical course aimed at developing research competencies and self-confidence in future biomolecular researchers. Accordingly, all sessions are based on hands-on, experiential learning, with students placed at the center of the learning process.

Because of this approach, the assessed workload is substantial. All in-person sessions include in-class activities that cannot be made up outside the classroom. Attendance is therefore mandatory.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Continuous evaluation:

Specific details of the different assignments will be provided by the instructors.

The contribution of each block to the final grade is proportional to the corresponding workload:

- Research design (DGQ 25%)

- Scientific communication (CB 25%)

- Presentation and discussion of the Journal Clubs (25%)

- Science for profit (JP 10%)

- Scientific integrity, safety, good laboratory practices, biosafety (JF 10%, OZ 5%)

To pass the course, three conditions must be met:

(1) The scores in Research design, Scientific Communication, and Journal Clubs must each be equal to or greater than 4.0. If any of the three block scores is lower than 4.0, the course is failed, and the lower, limiting score will be recorded as the final grade.

(2) The average of the three main blocks must be equal to or greater than 5.0.

(3) The attendance-adjusted course grade must be at least 5.0. It will be calculated as follows: (0.25*DGQ + 0.25*CB + 0.25*JC + 0.10*JP + 0.10*JF + 0.05*OZ) * proportion of in-person hours attended.

Class attendance:

The instructors of Module 1 consider hands-on, experiential learning to be the most effective educational strategy. For this reason, all face-to-face sessions include in-class activities that cannot be made up. Consequently, absences without documented justification due to force majeure will result in a proportional score of zero for the missed hours when calculating the final overall grade. Further details are provided at the end of this document.

Late submission of coursework:

Coursework submitted after the deadline without a documented extenuating circumstance will incur a penalty. For each working day past the submission date, 10% of the total score will be deducted. This penalty applies until the solutions are released. Once solutions are made available, submissions will not be accepted, and a score of zero will be assigned.

Retake evaluation:

As the evaluation is based on continuous work, this module does not offer a retake evaluation option.

Single evaluation:

This module does not offer a single evaluation option.

Non-assessable:

A student who submits coursework accounting for less than two-thirds of the total grade will be classified as "Non-assessable".

Misconduct:

All written work and presentation materials may be scanned using plagiarism detection software or other tools for detecting academic misconduct. Any irregularity committed in an assessment activity —including academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI (see details below)— shall result in a final grade of 0 for the entire module, not only for the specific assignment concerned. This includes the use of AI-generated content that the student is unable to understand, justify, elaborate upon, or explain. Disciplinary proceedings may also be initiated against any student who commits any of these irregularities.

Use of AI:

Students are encouraged to utilize textbooks, reputable academic online resources, and also artificial intelligence tools that help in their learning process and in the development of assignments. It is the instructors’ responsibility, as part of the evaluation process, to ensure that the student has genuinely acquired the expected knowledge, understanding, and skills, and is not merely presenting copied information, which would constitute scientific misconduct and academic fraud.

Justification of absences from compulsory activities

Absences will only be neutralized, and evaluations will only be exceptionally rescheduled, for reasons of force majeure: illness preventing attendance, the death of an immediate family member, or a court summons, provided that these reasons are duly documented and that rescheduling is materially possible. In the case of illness, only a signed medical certificate will be accepted. The certificate must include the physician’s name and medical registration number and must state that the student was not fit to attend the activity on the relevant date. Incomplete certificates or simple proof-of-attendance documents from a medical centre will not be accepted. In such cases, the missed class or evaluation activity will receive a score of 0. Supporting documentation must be submitted at the time of the absence or as soon as possible thereafter. Documentation submitted outside this period, for example at the end of the semester, will not be accepted.