1) Who can do a project?

Any third year student registered in the Faculty of Science is eligible to take the Botany project as an elective provided that they have shown good performance in their advanced level courses.

2) So could a Chemistry or Physics student apply to do a Botany project?

Certainly, if they found a topic of interest and a suitable supervisor.

3) What does one have to do in a the Botany Project?

In this course you will undertake a research project in the laboratory of your supervisor in which you will have the opportunity to perform experiments and make your own discoveries. You will then have to write a dissertation on which you will be assessed. There are no lectures or formal instruction.

4) How can I know what research I could do?

A list of topics has been circulated to all Biological Science (Biochem, Biology, Biotech, Food & Environmental) second years. It is also available form the Botany web-site and on posters round the campus.

5) What if I don’t find an interesting topic on the list?

You are very welcome to suggest your own topic for research. It has happened that a student is particularly interested in a certain area and has a research proposal. It would then be necessary to discuss this with a potential supervisor who is working in a related research area to see if the project I practicable or if the necessary equipment and materials are available.

6) Will I have to pay for any of the materials I use in a project?

No, all projects are fully funded and if it is necessary for you to incur any valid expenses for purchase of raw materials or travel for field work these will be refunded.

7) When will I be able to use the laboratory?

There is not usually any fixed timetable, the demands of performing experiments will largely determine when you will have to be in the laboratory.

8) Will there be anyone to help me when I am doing experiments?

As this will be your project you should develop the capability to perform your experiments independently. However before you are familiar with any technique you will be provided with full instruction. In addition you will always be able to turn to other people in a lab such as technicians or post-graduate students if you get stuck.

9) Will doing a project take up a lot of time?

Doing a project is a 12 credit course and should take up about the same amount of time as doing another 12 credit course would. Including not only the lecture and practical timetabled hours but also all the time you would need to spend for any course in researching references, writing reports and revising etc. Commonly most students are able to complete the bulk of their experimental work in the 3 months before Christmas during which time they will spend around 3 to 4 days per week in the lab, essentially all the time they are not occupied with other courses.

10) Will doing a project interfere with my other courses?

Not if you are already performing satisfactorily in your other courses. One advantage of doing a project is that it is very flexible, there are no fixed hours to be in the lab, so there cannot be any actual time-clash. However as one gets engrossed in ones research there is a danger that you will spend too much time on your project . In such cases your supervisor may recommend that you spend less time on the project and suggest better ways of organising your work.

11) My grades are not very good but I am really interested in doing a project.

Good second year grades are a requirement since a weak student would not be advised to undertake a project. Unlike other courses one is required to work relatively independently and thus the risk of catastrophic failure by a weak student would be high. Further if you are already having problems with your other courses it is more advisable to concentrate on improving your performance there.

12) I am interested in one of the topics, what should I do now?

The best step is to go and see the supervisor concerned. This is not an interview and its not necessary to prepare any material because you will not know yet what the project is really about. Some of the topic titles really don’t give much detail away!

13) I like the topic but I don’t know who the supervisor is, is there anyway I can find more information before going to see them?

The simplest way is to go to the Botany department web-page and follow the staff links to look at the research interests of the supervisor concerned. This will tell you more about the sort of research they are involved in. Some pages may also include further information specifically related to Project Topics. You could also ask your seniors who have done a project with this particular supervisor.

14) How do I contact a supervisor?

The easiest way is to send an email. All the email addresses of Botany staff can be obtained from the Department webpage. Alternatively you can go to the KBSB 6^th or 7^th floor or enquire via the Botany Departmental Office at 6S/16

15) Should I wait until I get my exam results in June?

No, it is better to contact a supervisor earlier to experess interest in a topic. It is usually possible to see from first year and Christmas examinations what expectations you may have for your summer results, though actual confirmation and course selection will need to wait until after you have your results.

16) My results are better than I expected, but it's now June, can I still do a project?

Provided a supervisor still has space available and is willing to accept you it is possible to register for a project up to the 2nd week of term in September.

17) How do I register for the project?

After discussing the project with a supervisor if you still wish to do a project and provided that the supervisor is willing to accept you, you will be able to select the project option during your normal course selection procedure.

18) Are students ever rejected by a supervisor?

There are many reasons why a supervisor may be unwilling to accept a student. It is possible that the supervisor may already have accepted other students and have insufficient laboratory space to accept more, or the project topic may already have been offered to another student. It is also possible that a supervisor may feel that a student's ability is not sufficient, or other courses too weak, to permit them to do a successful project.

19) Is there any difference between doing a Botany, Biochemistry, Ecology or Zoology project?

Though there is overlap in the research areas of the different departments, specific project topics will usually only be offered by one department. Therefore choice is usually determined by preference for a particular topic. In terms of difficulty, Biochemistry projects are the hardest (also need to do a seminar), Ecology allow a shorter time, and Botany  and Zoology are the easiest.