Unit name | Aerosol Science: Research Methods |
---|---|
Unit code | CHEMM0018 |
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 |
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 research methodology and skills, programming and data analysis, and advanced computational skills, with an emphasis on training relevant to aerosol science. Students will access the BDC Personal and Professional Development Programme with training in over 100 courses including communication and presentation skills, scientific writing, and interview skills. Following a skills audit, students will choose appropriate courses after discussion with their mentoring team. A course on Skills for Interdisciplinary Research will explore the foundations for interdisciplinary research, understanding the nature of interdisciplinary research and developing the skills needed for interdisciplinarity. Students will also receive training in Programming and Data Analysis (from an introduction to software engineering through to programming) and Advanced Computational Tools for Aerosols (including creation and application of aerosol models, combined with analysis of datasets derived from exemplar instrumentation). Finally, students will participate in a weekly session of PhD Project Brainstorming, working with the CDT cohort to develop research proposals, and develop problem solving and leadership skills.
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
E- learning:
Pre-class learning materials (powerpoints, videos, reading lists) to be provided on the CDT portal.
Breakdown of contributing activity:
Personal and Professional Development Programme – 60 hours split across directed sessions and self-study using online training
Skills for Interdisciplinary Research – 50 hours of contact time and course preparation/reading
Programming and Data Analysis – 40 hours of contact time and course preparation/practice
Advanced Computational Tools for Aerosols – 50 hours of contact time and course preparation/practice
Project Brainstorming and Research Proposal – 80 hours of contact time, preparation for brainstorming and research proposal writing
Students will participate weekly in the cohort activity PhD Project Brainstorming. Each student will lead a 1 hour session presenting the premise of their PhD to the cohort, critically evaluate proposed methods, and devise a workplan, forming the basis for group discussion. Not only will this contribute to the development of each project, it will develop problem solving and leadership skills, develop communication skills and a competency to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. At the end of Teaching Block 2, all students will prepare a refined Research Proposal written in the form of a research grant proposal (60 % of assessment) and give an oral poster presentation on their proposal (40 % of assessment).
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).