20576 Research Project in Life Sciences 1

Credits: 4 advanced credits in Life Sciences

Prerequisites: 60 credits in the Natural Sciences, with an average grade of at least 80. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library. Additional prerequisites may be required depending on the topic of the project. For details and approval for enrollment,2 consult the course coordinator.

The course enables students to experience research work, and usually to combine an individual project with the work of a research group in the laboratory of one of Israel’s universities and research institutes. The project may be practical (a lab or field study) or theoretical-computational.

As part of the work on the project, the student participates in determining the research question which is usually relevant to the work being carried out in the laboratory that the student has selected. After defining the research question, the student investigates the scientific background through the professional literature related to the topic, determines (together with the project supervisor) objectives, studies the research methods, and prepares an outline detailing the stages of the research, methodology and timetable. The student can register for the course only after approval of the research proposal by the supervisor and the course coordinator. The project can be carried out over one or two semesters, with an investment of about one day per week. At the end of the project, the student analyzes the data and reports on the results in the format of a research report. In addition, the student prepares a presentation on the project to be posted on the course website. The grade includes the student’s preparatory work, the work on the project itself, the final report and the presentation.


1There is some overlap in the content of this and other courses. For details, see Overlapping Courses.

2Enrollment is not restricted to the official registration period.