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Teaching
This is a research-based programme and there is no formal teaching requirement. All students on this programme will be members of the University’s Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS), which offers a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. Visit the Researcher Development page on the PSLS website for more information.
| One to one supervision | Students are expected to have regular (usually weekly) informal meetings with their supervisor. Each research group also typically has a weekly group meeting in which the student is expected to take part in presentations of research data and in journal clubs. In addition to the supervisor, all students are assigned an 'advisor'. This is a separate research group head, who is not directly involved in the student's research project, and can provide independent monitoring of progress, provide general advice, and act as a point of contact if any problems arise. All students also have a Postgraduate Thesis Panel (PTP) consisting of three principal investigators, one of which is the advisor, but excluding the supervisor. The role of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel is to provide additional support and enhanced mentoring to the student (through formal feedback), assess the tractability of the project and review the adequacy of supervision. All students are required to complete periodic progress/planning reports that track the key elements of the project plan, progress, and training aims and achievements. These reports include student self-assessment of progress, supervisor comments, and allow student feedback on their training resources and support. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Lectures | In the first year of study a compulsory advanced techniques series of lectures provides a wide exposure to a range of methodologies available in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Three workshops additionally discuss research ethics, research question design, and data management. |
| Posters and Presentations | In the second year, students present their research work in poster form. In the third year, students present their work in a talk. These presentations occur at the Department’s annual PhD Symposium attended by the whole department.
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Feedback
There are no assessed compulsory courses in the Biochemistry PhD programme, however, students will receive feedback throughout the course. There will be regular oral feedback and advice from the supervisor about student performance and research direction.
Students will also receive termly formal feedback from their supervisors. Students can expect oral feedback from the supervisor and other group members on their group presentations.
Students will also receive constructive oral and written feedback from their Postgraduate Thesis Panel after their presentations. There will be formal feedback following the first-year thesis assessment and oral examination, which determines whether the student will progress into the second year.
Students also receive oral and written feedback on their second-year poster presentation, and generic feedback is given on third-year oral presentations.
Students can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the Postgraduate Feedback and Reporting System. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding feedback.
First-year assessment
During the first year, students will be provisionally registered for the PhD and must perform satisfactorily in the First-Year Assessment (a formal examination) in order to become fully registered. This takes the form of a thesis report (up to 6000 words), which should be written and presented in a formal scientific report style. The thesis report should be handed in during the second half of June (or early September for January starters, and December for Easter starters).
Postgraduate Thesis Panel
The student is required to present two talks on their project to their Postgraduate Thesis Panel (a panel of three academics) in the first year, followed by one each in subsequent years. After the presentation and a Q&A session with the student, the Postgraduate Thesis Panel gives constructive feedback about the student's progress and the nature and direction of the project.
The appointment of two members of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel (excluding the advisor who is appointed by the Postgraduate Committee), is student-driven, and staff will be invited by the student to join the panel after they have consulted with their supervisor for advice about the most appropriate members. The main aim of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel is to provide independent, enhanced mentorship and advice for postgraduate students to help them make progress in their project. It is also a mechanism for providing a further independent assessment of student progress, to supplement the views of the supervisor.
Peer Research Groups (PRGs)
Peer Research Groups (PRGs) consist of a small group of 10-15 students spanning all year groups. The groups provide a student with a support network as well as additional educational and training opportunities to help meet the training objectives of the postgraduate programme. The groups meet once a fortnight and are overseen by an academic member of Biochemistry and a postdoc mentor.
Weekly group meetings
Most research groups run their own weekly laboratory meetings and journal clubs where the student will be expected to talk about their experimental work and review published papers. Some groups might also expect students to write reports on a regular basis (e.g., monthly) for their supervisor as one component of the monitoring and mentorship programme.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The thesis is a standalone piece of writing which describes the student's research. It is written as a formal scientific document and is typically organised with the following sections: introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion. It is expected to make a significant contribution to existing knowledge in the field of study. All students must defend their thesis by attending a viva voce examination conducted by two examiners, who will examine both the content of the thesis and the general field of knowledge within which it falls.
The thesis must not exceed 60,000 words (80,000 by special permission) excluding tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.