•The Iscience Team •Key features•The IScience review•Updates

• Student numbers• Programme• Outreach • Projects• McMaster Exchange

Programme• Careers

Interdisciplinary Science becomes

Natural Sciences

The I-Science Team

Professor Derek Raine – DirectorResearch background: relativity, quantum gravity, complex systemsTeaching awards: MBE, NTF, IOP Bragg Medal,

Dr Cheryl Hurkett (Physics TF) Research background – gamma ray bursts; Teaching awards - PGCHE (distinction)

Dr Sarah Gretton (Biology TF) Research background – cellular biology of hepatitis C virus Teaching awards- PGCHE (distinction)

Dr Dylan Williams (Chemistry TF) Research background – metal nanoparticles Teaching – University of Leicester award

Dr Catarina Fernandes (Geology TF) Research background– spectroscopy of asteroids

Emma Tebbs (GTA, EOS) Research – Remote Sensing in East African River Basins Teaching award – University partnership

Paul Abel (Mathematics TA) Research – Black Holes Teaching award - University partnership

The Core Teaching Team

Awards and Distinctions

Awards and distinctionsCheryl & Sarah: PGCHE distinctionsPaul and Emma: University partnership awards

Green Gown award nomination (Victoria Robinson)

Project support (~£50K)

BioSciences Centre: Sustainable Futures (Sarah)HESTEM: Conceptual Understanding in Physics How to build a solar system (Caterina)HEA: Teaching Fellows Forum & Workshop (Cheryl) LeAP PBL Summer workshop RSC: PBL development (Dylan)

Sarah: The Innovative Re-use of a Virtual Genetics Laboratory - 100  European micro innovation practices: sharing evidence of successful integration of ICT in learning processes.

The I-Science ProgrammeKey Features

Key Features

• Research based learning

A scaffolded PBL approach with teaching shared systematically between teaching fellows, academic staff, & TAs Proble

mReading, Expert

sessions

Facilitated Discussion

Exercises

Tutorials

Group discussio

n

• Electronic delivery of materials and marking

Teaching Fellows

Academic staff

• Keller plan (competency based) Mathematics support

• Sequential core modules

Year 1

Prophets and Powers

The Origins ofScience

Science of the Invisible

Atoms, Molecules and Cells

Braining IT

Neurons and Computation

Biosphere

Ecology

Near Space

Earth and Sun

Year 2

Time and Energy

Dynamics andThermo-dynamics

Molecules by Design

Organic Chemistry

CSI Leicester

Forensic Science

Man and Machines

Biophysics & Physiology

Habitable Worlds

The Universe and Life

Year 3

Nanoscience

Materials and Organelles

Communication Science

Electromagnetic & chemical signalling

Evolution

Earth through Time

Climate

The IScience modules: structure and progression

In each year the module topics range over scales from microscopic to macrocosmic. Each year takes these topics to a deeper level.

SCALE

DEPTH

Yr 1

Water in biologyMain group chemistryMineralsAstronomyForcesRadioactivity

Cell structureBiological moleculesChemical bondingSolid state &Organic chemistryThermal Physics

Neuro-physiology

Computability

Ecology Atmospheric chemistrySpectroscopyQuantisation – Vibrational energy levelsEarth’s interiorRadiation Magnetic fields

Yr 2

Chemical kinetics thermodynamicsNewtonian dynamics

EnzymesOrganic SynthesisChemical characterisation

GeneticsAnalytical chemistryElectrostaticsOptics

PhysiologyMetabolism

Rigid body dynamicsFluid flowDiffusion

Molecular biol.BiochemistryPlanetary evolution

GravityStellar evolution

Yr 3

Cell molecular biology NanochemistryQuantum physicsSolid stateMagnetic materials

Cell signallingSensory physiologyBiochemistryElectromagnetic waves, Optics

Population geneticsHuman evolutionDevelopmental biologyPalaeontology

StratigraphyPaleoclimateEarth systemsChemical markers

The IScience modules – discipline topics

The topics in each discipline fit together to form a coherent programme in scope and level.

9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 13.00 14.00 15.00 16.00

MonComputing Workshop

Skills Workshop

TueMaths Tutorial

Core Lecture

Core Workshop

WedLaboratory Session extracurricular activities

ThuCore Lecture

Maths Workshop

Core Workshop

FriElective Workshop

Core Tutorial

A (not quite)Typical Week

Academic ReviewThe Outcomes

The Academic Review

In Dec 2011 IScience was subject to academic review as a separate entity.

The main recommendations of the review were:

• The Centre for Interdisciplinary Science to be separated from Physics as a Centre within the College

• Expansion of the programme as an elite programme to compete with Natural Sciences programmes in comparable institutions

• Change of name of the degree (but not the Centre) to Natural Sciences

• The Centre to aim to achieve a research capacity

Updates• Student numbers• Programme• Outreach • Projects• McMaster Exchange Programme• Careers

Student Numbers

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

5

13

17

27

31

42

4446 46

58

4

1312

1717 16

19Yearly intakeCumulative student numbers

Year

stud

ent n

umbe

rs

• Advanced study: additional options for discipline -based study

• Science in Context: the student internet research journal

• Computing: R and Python

• Iscience Research seminars

IScience Society Research Seminars

Programme enhancements

Outreach 1

Developed by Caterina Fernandez & Rebecca Wilson with an HESTEM grantIn year 1: 1880 students, 303 teachers, 550 public (ex National Big Bang event)

1. How to build a solar system- physics, chemistry, geology, biology

Natural Sciences & Physics60 -70 students a year

4 days of workshops, projects, labs and lectures

… provides a unique opportunity to meet distinguished University of Leicester scientists answering questions about their research. The sessions will take the form of an illustrated interview with most of the questions coming from the audience. The topics range from space science to nanotechnology. Questions can range from historical and technical issues to applications and career opportunities. Primarily designed for teachers to find out more about current science, the sessions will also be of interest to sixth form students thinking of a career in science.

An evening with….

A novel approach to public outreach talks

Outreach 2

Conferences, Invited Talks

Iscience at the AAASHEA STEM (London)HE STEM, BirminghamIOP LondonPHEC + Variety in Chemistry, EdinburghSociety for Experimental Biology learning / teaching / research symposium 2012

Simon Fraser University, VancouverNational University of Ireland, GalwayUniversity of New South Wales

Teaching the Key Points of Integration Interdisciplinary Science represented at an invited panel discussion during the AAAS annual meeting Feb 2012 Vancouver

Consultancy

Interdisciplinary Science Hosts an International Conference on Open Questions on the Origin of Life, John Foster Hall, May 2012

Projects

Publications from undergraduate projects:

Sea ice extent and seasonality for the Early Pliocene northern Weddell SeaMark Williams, Jan Zalasiewicz, Daniel R. Jarram, et al. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 292 (1–2), 2010, 306–318

2011The Effect of Lifestyle, Gender and Ethnicity on the Fingerprint Sweat Corrosion of Brass 2012A Database Of Apoptosis Gene Mutations: The Development of a Locus Specific Database Comprising Variants of Four Trail Receptors  The Effect of Temperature on the Visibility of Fingerprint Deposits on Metal Using Digital Colour Mapping

Exchange and Kenya project

Sustainable Livelihoods field project

McMaster Exchange

Vacation project work in Kenya

Students spend a semester or a year in the ISci program at one of North America’s leading Universities as part of their degree

McMaster students in Leicester:

2011-12: 1 full year; 2 x one semester

2012-13: 3 x one semester

Leicester students in McMaster

2012-13: 1 x semester; 3 x full year

Thank you