Internship Neurobiology

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1178

Course Objective

The aims of the master’s internship are: · The student learns to independently conduct scientific research. · The student is able to independently find scientific information and to evaluate this for the benefit of their own research question. · The student is able to apply scientific methods and knowledge, to answer research questions and to generate evidence‐based knowledge. · The student is able to formulate a research question, to choose, to implement and to evaluate the (appropriate) research method, and to phrase the obtained results in a scientific report. · The student is able to cooperate with researchers of various disciplines. · The student is able to write a scientific report of the research on the level of peer-reviewed academic journals. · The student is able to orally present the research results and to discuss the findings. · The student obtains a good impression of a potential future field of career.

Course Content

The internship is a compulsory part of the Masters’ programme in Biomedical Sciences and involves many different aspects, such as theoretical preparation (literature survey), practical execution (collect data), data-analysis and participation in the scientific activities of a research department. Finally, you present your findings both orally and in a report. The internship has to be preceded by a research proposal. The internship should have an neurobiological research question. Purely observational or inventory projects are not accepted. For more (detailed) information, please see the placement manual M Biomedical Sciences on Canvas.

Teaching Methods

Research project, under supervision of VU-staff.

Method of Assessment

Formative: Within six weeks after the start of the internship a Go/No Go evaluation is made by the VU supervisor. The aim of this interim evaluation is to decide whether the project and the student both have enough potential to continue (Go) or not (No Go). This evaluation is based on:
• Written material by the student: either the Introduction or Methods section of the report or both.
• Attitude of the student and execution of the project during the initial stage. Summative: The final assessment of the internship is undertaken by the VU-supervisor and the second assessor. In the final assessment, the VU supervisor assesses four different aspects of the internship:
• the attitude of the student (pass/fail)
• the execution of the research (40%)
• the final report (40%): average of both assessors
• the oral presentation (20%) The second assessor provides an assessment of the final report only. Only if all marks for each category given by the VU-Supervisor and the Second assessor are a 5.5 or higher, will the thesis/placement be regarded as sufficient. In addition, the student has to pass the category attitude.

Target Audience

MSc Biomedical Sciences students, specialization Neurobiology

Custom Course Registration

Internships can only start when the draft research proposal is approved by the master's coordinator, at least two weeks in advance (assignment on Canvas). Only when the proposal and agreements have been fully approved, you can start the internship (on the set date). – no registration in the registration module on vu.nl needed – The Placement Manual and Thesis and Placement Regulations describe the process of completing the internship from the beginning to the final stage. The various stages of the process will be supported by assignments and links to forms.

Additional Information

The Placement Manual is based upon the 'Thesis and Placement Regulations ' of the Faculty of Science and the 'Teaching and Examination Regulations' (TER). Duration of the internship is one semester (30 EC). It is not allowed for your literature thesis and internships to take place on the same or a highly similar subject or with same supervision and/or techniques. Next to this, the internship cannot overlap in time with courses or the literature thesis.

Entry Requirements

The student is enrolled in the Master’s programme Biomedical Sciences of which the internship is part. The student attended the courses: o AM_1281 Integrated Biomedical Sciences (for students started in 2022-2023 or later) o AM_1275 From Molecule to Mind o A total of 18EC in specialization specific courses And have acquired 12EC of these courses. The second internship can only start after passing the first internship.

Explanation Canvas

On Canvas you can find the Placement manual, Thesis and Placement Regulations, examples and more. Also the assignment for the research proposal and other links/forms can be found on Canvas.