1. University of Sheffield MSc in Chemoinformatics How the programme came into being Structure of the programme Taught component Dissertation component Our experiences

2. Chemoinformatics at Sheffield Distinguished track record in chemoinformatics research since the late Sixties One-term module on chemoinformatics for many years to MSc Information Management students This led to many subsequent PhD studies, but numbers of scientists of all sorts doing the MSc programme has been falling steadily…. …while the need for specialist training has increased

3. MSc Chemoinformatics: history World-wide industry shortage August 1999: ACS COMP symposium November 1999: ABPI EPSRC; Sheffield University; representatives from pharmaceutical industry December 1999: EPSRC call for proposals Masters Level Training Packages (MTPs), with Chemoinformatics as one of the priority areas Successful bid supported by a range of pharmaceutical, agrochemical and software companies 10 studentships over 5 years from September 2000 Tuition and 2/3 maintenance (1/3 coming from industry)

4. MSc Chemoinformatics: aims Develop an awareness of IM and IT techniques used in the design and implementation of chemoinformatics systems Enable students to demonstrate skills learned by carrying out a small-scale industrially relevant chemoinformatics research project Basic structure Two semesters of taught modules One semester dissertation working at the site of one of the companies supporting the programme

5. Semester One: taught modules  An introduction to chemoinformatics, to numeric and textual information systems and to computer programming. Chemoinformatics I Information Systems Modelling Information Storage and Retrieval Foundations of Object-Oriented Programming (CS)

6. Semester Two: taught modules Chemoinformatics II (more programming) Database Design Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation Two from a range of elective modules, including Molecular Modelling (Chemistry), Healthcare Information, E-Business & E-commerce etc

7. Rationale for the placements A dissertation is an important part of any PGT course What distinguishes an MSc from a Diploma or Certificate Part of all of our existing MA/MSc programmes Substantial industrial involvement required for EPSRC-funded PGT programmes

8. Placements: timetable Mid-November Initial contact with companies to request projects Late-January Final list of projects (title plus agreed one-paragraph abstract) sent to all students Mid-February: final allocations One student per company Student to get one of three choices Take account of Sheffield staff expertise Easter Student/staff visit to the company to finalise arrangements

9. Placements: the summer Mid-June Students leave Sheffield Regular email/phone conversations with Sheffield supervisor One on-site visit with submission of final dissertation by 1 st September

10. Final projects Four main types of project Development and/or testing of an existing or novel piece of software for some specific application Development of a Web front-end to an existing system or service Comparison of different programs for some specific application Analysis of chemical and/or biological dataset(s) Wide range of organisations AstraZeneca (both Macclesfield and Loughborough sites), Barnard Chemical Information, Edward Jenner Institute, Eli Lilly, Evotec OAI, GlaxoSmithKline (both Stevenage and Harlow sites), Johnson & Johnson (Spain), Merck Sharp & Dohm, Novartis (both Horsham and Basel), Organon (The Netherlands), Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis (Paris), Syngenta, Treweren Consultants and Vernalis.

11. Lessons that we can draw Industrial involvement Crucial if a meaningful programme is to be delivered Sustainability Or the lack thereof Employability Excellent prospects for students taking the programme

12. Industrial involvement: I Chemoinformatics is not a purely academic discipline so there is a need for industrial involvement to ensure relevance Chemoinformatics-II lectures given entirely by visiting speakers, with most of these from industry The dissertation is planned in discussion with, and supervised on a day-to-day basis by, an industrial collaborator

13. Industrial involvement: II The dissertation was intended from the start to be the principal component of the programme, towards which the taught components build Correctness of this view, with all three stakeholders benefiting Companies come back year after year Students maximise their chances of subsequent employment Although not an explicit intention, several dissertation- based research publications (and others excellent but confidential)

14. Sustainability: I The original EPSRC funding was for the period 2000-01 to 2004-05 Expectation by EPSRC that the programme would become self-funding Students supporting themselves Marketing of distance-learning modules derived from programme materials

15. Sustainability: II These expectations were not realistic Traditional student assumptions exacerbated by changes in UG funding No industrial interest in distance-learning materials 4-day short course meets this need In UK, as elsewhere, declining numbers of students studying physical sciences at UG level First physics and now chemistry closures Even with the offer of fees, maintenance and placement, only limited numbers of applications for the programme

16. Employability For the 38 students in the years 2000-04, their subsequent destinations were as follows Pharmaceutical industry: 9 Chemoinformatics software or database: 7 PhD research: 11 General IT: 6 Other employment: 2 Unknown: 3