Background
The Sustainable Research Team and Biosciences Education Team have received funding from Education for Sustainability team to work together to develop resources to embed sustainability into the bioscience's undergraduate curricula.
As scientific researchers, we have an ethical responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of our work. Laboratories consume between three and ten times more energy per square foot than office spaces, and biological and medical research contributes significantly to global plastic waste. Current bioscience students at King's College London (KCL) receive minimal exposure to sustainable practices in labs until they progress to further studies or work. Integrating sustainability concepts into the curriculum from the start will equip students with essential skills, preparing them to incorporate sustainable approaches in their future research.
Part of this fund is allocated to hire TWO Sustainability Research Assistants to help perform the key tasks of the project during 4 hours a week. Please ensure you have your supervisor's support to take part in this project as the working hours will typically be Monday-Friday 9-6pm.
Responsibilities
Conduct a systematic review of sustainability teaching in the biosciences and similar fields to understand existing content and research.
Utilising this review, conduct surveys and focus groups with undergraduate biosciences students to identify learning gaps in sustainability and preferences for delivery of content.
Analyse survey responses and make suggestions for learning outcomes and delivery methods of new sustainability content in the bioscience curricula.
Organise and host an away day bringing together module and programme leads, technical staff and other stakeholders involved in the biosciences courses to understand where to place new content, and analysing outcomes from the day.
Develop initial resources for content in years 1, 2, and 3 and gather feedback from students on content and delivery proposals.
Organise and host a final workshop with academic and technical staff to demonstrate use of new resources.
Coordinating with project lead- Sustainability Innovation Lead (Research) Dr Marcelo Salierno
QualificationsAn undergraduate degree in a wet laboratory-based science.
SkillsYou will have.....
Knowledge
Essential: Bioscience and laboratory skills including understanding of contamination, waste
Desirable: Knowledge of sustainable science or the LEAF programme, including knowledge of using resources efficiently including equipment and consumables, water and energy use.
Experience
Essential: Demonstrating experience or lecture experience in bioscience or chemistry lab practicals
Essential: Experience performing literature searches.
Skills
Essential: Able to use their initiative and work independently
Essential: Able to work to tight deadlines as this project is only funded for 6 months.
Desirable: Writing qualitative surveys
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