Biological Sciences Honours Course 4100 Get the most authentic science experiences you can! Biological Sciences Honours Course 4100

Honours Committee 2017 – 2018 Jay Kormish, 474-7810, Buller 318 Jay.Kormish@umanitoba.ca (chair 2018 –2019) Jillian Detwiler Kevin Fraser Colin Garroway Gary Anderson Joy Stacey John Markham Gordon Goldsborough Jane Waterman BIOL3100

What is BIOL 4100? Includes: A six credit hour course: designed to give students experience in scientific research from inception to presentation Includes: planning extensive background reading experimental design and execution data analyses communication of results (both written and orally)

Why take BIOL 4100? - Do I have a talent for research? Opportunity to complete a self-directed research project - Learn how research is done - Do I enjoy doing research? - Major qualification for your future scientific life Awards (best proposal and best thesis) and one bursary

- 4th Year Honours status in Biological Sciences To enroll in BIOL 4100… Student must have: - 4th Year Honours status in Biological Sciences - GPA ≥ 3.0 - ≥ C grade in all Biological Sciences courses Make sure you have the grade requirements... If you do not have these requirement let me know as soon as possible - BIOL3100

To enroll in BIOL 4100… 2. Student is responsible for finding an advisor AND, with the advisor’s help, finding an additional external committee member within (or associated) with the Biological Sciences Department For advisors from outside the department → must be approved by Honours committee → need a co-advisor within the department Take BIOL 3350! Data & Analysis in Ecology Advice from students:

Committees… Each student has a committee composed of: i) advisor(s) ii) one member of the Honours Committee iii) one additional external committee member Role: Assess student proposal and progress report Ensure consistency among thesis projects Grade thesis document and oral defense

BIOL 4100 Course Structure No formal lectures or labs! Informal meetings with HTC committee Communication via myumanitoba account Three general meetings with the advisory committee: 1. Proposal meeting (May/Sept 2018) 2. Progress meeting (Document: due Dec 15; Meeting date by Jan 18, 2019) 3. Thesis exam symposium (April 2019)

Course requirements Written Proposal Proposal presentation Summer: by May 25 2018 Written Proposal Fall: start of September 21 2018 Due: 7 days before proposal meeting Summer: by May 25 2018 Proposal presentation Fall: by September 21 2018 Written Progress report Due: Dec 14 2018 Data collection & preliminary analysis complete OR VW  Major Degree Due: Jan 18 2019 Written Progress Presentation March 28 Written Thesis Due: March 27, 201 tba ~April 10, 2019 (before final exams) Thesis Defense Presentation

Evaluation (overview) Proposal (written & oral) 10% Progress Report (written & oral) 15% Thesis (written) 50% Thesis defense (oral & exam) 10% Conduct of research (supervisor) 15% 100% https://www.google.ca/search?q=finishing+your+thesis&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHl-H53_fSAhWmxYMKHWxPDxYQ_AUIBigB&biw=1463&bih=1079#tbm=isch&q=graduating+with+your+thesis&*&imgrc=X9uFIzqPfMGdtM:&spf=381

Usually 30+ page document (please not 50 or more) Thesis (written) Usually 30+ page document (please not 50 or more) - style follows departmental guidelines, see outline and honours website - 1st draft to supervisor by March 6 2019 - thesis to all examiners by March 27 2019 - final revised copy to office by April 26 2019 Bring a bound copy of a thesis

Thesis (oral defense) After classes end, before exams (~April 10 2019) → 12 minute presentation (project overview and research findings) → questions from Examining committee (5-10 minutes of questions from each examiner) → questions from general audience Total?

What next? If you have already identified an advisor (and the additional committee member): → background reading, start to formulate questions; initiate proposal writing and mthods → safety training; animal care course animal care protocol forms → Manitoba Conservation permits

What next? If you have not yet identified an advisor: → check out the Biological Sciences website for a list of potential advisors Don’t Delay!!! → meet with potential advisor(s) → discuss possible research projects → formulate research questions...

QUESTIONS? http://umanitoba.ca/Biology/honours/