Unit information: Aerosol Science: Professionalism and Translation in 2020/21

Unit name	Aerosol Science: Professionalism and Translation
Unit code	CHEMM0017
Credit points	30
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Reid
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	Core Aerosol Science I and II
School/department	School of Chemistry
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

Aerosols are particles dispersed in a gas phase with sizes ranging from molecular clusters (>1 nm) to large droplets (>100 um). Aerosol science is core to a broad range of disciplines extending from drug delivery to the lungs, to disease transmission, aerosol routes to the manufacture of new materials, combustion, environmental science, and the delivery of consumer and agricultural products. This unit will provide training in Professionalism and Translation of Research with a particular emphasis on topics relevant to aerosol science. Each week, students will be provided with Perspectives from Partners, a session in which partners present their personal reflections on aerosol science, the nature of translational research and technology, and their professional roles. A short course, Science Entrepreneurial Experience, will be delivered by the Bristol Consulting Partnership in conjunction with Unit DX. Designed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs, the course enables early-stage researchers from a range of diverse backgrounds to simulate how teams perform. Training in responsible innovation (RI) will be provided exploring the origins, meaning and translation of RI into practice. The training will encourage reflection on the implications for the researchers own scientific field, and cover the design of research/innovation processes in accordance with RI principles. Training in Public Engagement (PE) will cover: what PE is and why it is important, the types of audiences encountered, the range of activities/approaches used, necessary communication skills for effective PE and routes to evaluating impact. Training in issues surrounding equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) will consider the current issues faced in ED&I, routes to improving ED&I and ethical behaviour in the workplace. A course on policy impact will examine the policy/regulatory landscape, the tools for identifying and influencing policy audiences, communications, and scientific careers within government/policy. Finally, students will participate in the training event Dragon’s Den: Developing a Business Plan, work in an interdisciplinary team to prepare a technology or service development plan for challenge topics identified by partners. This will be supported by training in project management, market analysis and regulation, teams will work to develop their business concept.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Apply theoretical knowledge of aerosol science across a range of research problems of a chemical, physical, biological or technological nature, such as in understanding the pathway to develop new formulations of drugs and devices for inhalation therapy.
• Develop or adapt advanced methodological approaches to contemporary problems in aerosol science, recognising the complexity and tolerating the ambiguity that arises in real-world systems, such as arise in the measurement of ambient aerosol particles and their impact on air quality and human health.
• Synthesise new approaches in aerosol science to meet an identified outcome within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, safety, manufacturability, and/or sustainability, such as in the development of new manufacturing routes to materials (e.g. carbon nanotubes) using aerosol methodologies or in the commercialisation of new analytical instrumentation for environmental measurements.
• Act in congruence with professional & ethical values, & manage ethical dilemmas in formulating scientific solutions, such as in the evaluation of mitigation strategies for climate change using aerosols to geo-engineer the climate or in the licensing and regulation of new inhalation therapies.
• Communicate and share research knowledge to both expert and non-expert audiences, and guide the learning of those from outside their discipline, such as in the presentation of a business case for a novel technological or service development plan.
• Function effectively and confidently in multidisciplinary teams, acting autonomously and taking responsibility for the scientific activity of others, such as in the presentation of a business case for a novel technological or service development plan.

Teaching Information

E- learning:
Pre-class learning materials (powerpoints, videos, reading lists) to be provided on the CDT portal.

Breakdown of contributing activity:
Perspectives from Partners – 25 hours split across TB1 and 2.
Science Entrepreneurial Experience – 50 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Responsible Innovation – 35 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Public Engagement training – 20 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training – 20 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Reflection and Personal Development Plan – 15 hours of preparation and review with mentoring team
Policy Impact training – 15 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Dragon’s Den, Developing a Business Plan – 45 hours of contact time and event preparation/reading

Assessment Information

Assessment of this unit will be through the cohort training event Dragon’s Den: Developing a Business Plan, which will provide a comprehensive test of all of the intended learning outcomes. Not only will the students be assessed on their recognition of the scientific and economic issues central to their business plan, but the need for responsible innovation, the importance of public perception and engagement, adherence to safety regulations, a consideration of regulatory standards and the need for sustainability will all be assessed. Student groups will produce a proposal that not only addresses the technological brief but demonstrates an awareness of commercial, policy and regulatory requirements. Students will be assessed individually in their contribution to the group activity/how well they worked as part of the team (peer-assessment by team, 20%), and collectively as a group during a pitch presentation by the supervisorial team/partners (for proposal quality and investibility, 80%).

Reading and References

Text-books covering most aspects of the course:
Aerosol Science: Technology and Applications by Colbeck and Lazaridis, Wiley-Blackwell, 1st edition (2014).

Aerosol Technology: Properties, Behavior, and Measurement of Airborne Particles by Hinds, Wiley-Blackwell, 2nd edition (1999).

Specialist text-books for thematic areas:
Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques, and Applications by Kulkarni, Baron and Willeke, Wiley-Blackwell, 3rd edition (2011).

The Mechanics of Inhaled Pharmaceutical Aerosols: An Introduction by Finlay, Academic Press, 2nd edition (2019).

Analytical Chemistry of Aerosols: Science and Technology by Spurny, CRC Press (2000).

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change by Seinfeld and Pandis, Wiley-Blackwell, 3rd edition (2016).