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Module

MMB8038 : Bioscience Research Development and Enterprise

  • Offered for Year: 2025/26
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Richard Hetherington
  • Lecturer: Professor Mark Birch-Machin, Dr Keng Wooi Ng, Dr Peter Chater, Dr Kile Green, Dr Natalya Radko, Dr Alison Bray, Dr Jana Suklan, Professor Jelena Mann, Dr Carys Watts
  • Other Staff: Miss Anastassia Kostenko, Dr Matt Abbott
  • Owning School: Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Scien
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

This module aims to introduce research students to the many considerations that need to be made when commercialising research findings. Students will use real life case studies as the basis to investigate how research can be turned into a business. External expertise will offer students an insight into business development beyond the initial stages.

Outline Of Syllabus

• The life cycle of a business and planning an exit strategy
• Case Studies of commercialisation of research
• Intellectual property rights
• Business planning, accounting and finance
• Marketing
• Industry standards
• Considerations for expansion
• Project management
• Team working

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture12:002:00Present in person (PIP): Lecture: project management
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture11:301:30Present in person (PIP): Lecture: investment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture11:301:30Present in person (PIP): Lecture: care pathways
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture121:0012:00Present in person (PIP): Lectures
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion1167:00167:00Independent and group research
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching11:001:00Present in person (PIP): Introduction
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching10:300:30Present in person (PIP): case study selection
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching11:301:30Present in person (PIP): team working communication
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching12:002:00Present in person (PIP): business plan session
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching12:002:00Present in person (PIP): business life cycle
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching120:306:00Present in person (PIP): Q&A discussion
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching13:003:00Present in person (PIP): oral presentations
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Genuine case studies will provide a model for investigation, broader information on the considerations for the commercialisation of research will provide information for students to critically appraise these case studies. The interactive seminars (workshops) will encourage the students to reflect, both individually and in small groups on the case studies presented. Students will then be able to consider what has been successful and what could have been changed in the case studies. This real world development of research ideas into commercial outcomes will present students with a situation through which they can get a genuine feel for how research ideas are taken forward into business. The external expertise will highlight the considerations that researchers should make about how to deal with research findings to make a future for the business. Students will need to work in groups and their ability to do this effectively will be assessed through their reviews of each other’s work, this will encourage co-operation and the development of leadership.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Case study1M22Review of a Case Study and Initial Proposal (500 words)
Report1M29Review of peer’s initial report (700 words)
Case study1M20500 word Executive summary group report
Prof skill assessmnt1M29Present in Person Oral Presentation of Optimisation or Diversification Proposal (15 mins presentation working as a group of 3 or 4) assessed by content - group mark (10%) Presentation skills – individual mark (10%), Q&A – individual mark (9%)
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This module is intended primarily to enable students to develop an understanding of the opportunities within the bioscience sector including the biopharma and biotechnology industry. These are practical skills and will be assessed by presentation of a review of a current spin-out business that will include proposals for how a company could be taken forward. The review and proposal will be presented in front of an expert panel from University and Business which will be followed by a question and answer session.

Students will make a report and initial proposal individually; these reviews will be based on only the Case Study information. Students will then be provided with more information about the set-up , structure financing, business life cycle and expansion. With this information students will review each other’s initial reports. We aim to prepare students for a typical working environment where team work and diplomacy are as important as knowledge.

Small groups of students (typically 3-4 students per group) will be encouraged to draw together the information in their reviews and proposals to create an executive summary for their groups proposal. Comments on the group’s executive summary will inform their final presentation which will be assessed by individual presentation skills, responses to questions, questions asked of other groups and a group mark for the content of their presentation.

Reading Lists

Timetable