Utilizing Interdisciplinary Synergy

Course manual 2020/2021

Course content

The aim of this course is to broaden the skills that students obtain in this master. This course will provide students insight into the commercial development of scientific findings. Students will learn how to write a business plan and  communicate scientific findings in a concise form to a lay audience. In addition, to expand the scientific horizon  different scientific fields will be combined.

To achieve this goal, students are asked to develop a scientific “product” that solves an interdisciplinary question. During this course, students will learn about business models, value proposition and revenue, obtaining funding/investment and how to protect this “product” by IP.  Knowledge obtained during the course will be transformed into a business plan which will be assessed by a entrepreneurship coach. To ensure broadening of the scientific horizon students teach each other about the track specific knowledge they obtained during the first courses.

In this course, students from two different tracks will be randomized in teams of up to 4 students. The teams will work on this multidisciplinary project under the guidance of two coaches with different scientific backgrounds. This course therefore also serves as an opportunity for scientists to start collaborations in distant fields. Students are encouraged to bring up their own interdisciplinary research questions combining their expertise fields.

The students will generate a plan that results in a product of which the commercial development needs to be described in a business plan that will be assessed by our entrepreneurship coaches. Communication of the contents of the proposal is an important part, students will need to “pitch” their idea using a short presentation and movie in a general meeting with audience of laypersons and entrepreneurs. 

Besides the intended learning outcomes, the course will  strengthen personal bonding between students because as they will collaborate intensively in small peer groups. In addition, this course will show students which career opportunities are available outside academia.

Objectives

• Collaborate with people from different scientific backgrounds.
• Write a business plan that aims to commercialize a research project.
• Present the proposal in an elevator pitch to a scientific, specialist audience explain complex biomedical information to people without a biomedical background.
• Explain complex biomedical information to people without a biomedical background.

Teaching methods

• Self-study
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Supervision/feedback meeting
• Presentation/symposium
• Seminar

Seminars: During the workshops you will be given insight in the most important parts of developing a business proposal. These hands on workshops will give you tips and tricks on how to develop, validate and secure a business idea and how to raise money to start a company. 

Presentations: You will present the scientific background of your business idea and pitch your business plan. You will exchange with students from different research masters and learn to get your idea’s across, not only to other students, but also to a layman’s audience.
 
Self-study: Most of the week, you will work independently (in groups of 4 students) on your business proposal and pitch. This will allow you to incorporate the things learned during the workshops. The end product is your own business proposal; you’ll work in a team, divide workload and meet the deadlines together. 

Feedback: You will follow a workshop on giving and receiving feedback. This will be put this into practice in a session with your own team, together with your scientific coaches. 

Inspiration sessions: On Wednesdays we have planned inspirational sessions with people that know both the academic world and are involved in a company, you can (and are expected to!) ask them anything you always liked to know about working on the edge of business and science.

Learning activities

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

1. Attendance during practical components exercises is mandatory.

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance for all presentations, workshops, meeting the teacher and assessments  are mandatory. 

If you are unable to attend a session, please contact your scientific teacher. If you are unable to attend an assessment day, please contact one of the coordinators.  

Assessment

Your final grade will include the following aspects:

• Scientific presentation. Details on length and assessment will be posted on Canvas. Presentations will take place online via zoom. One grade per group.
• Active participation and collaboration. Input from both fellow team members and teachers will be taken into account.
• The final pitch of your team, which will be graded by the entrepreneurial coaches. All members of the group will receive the same grade. The grade will be an average of all the grades given by the members of the panel.
• The business plan of your team, which will be assessed based on rubrics that will be posted on canvas. All members of the group will receive the same grade.

If you fail to meet a deadline, this will have consequences for your final grade and will be taken into account in your grade given for active participation and collaboration. There is no chance for a resit.

Inspection of assessed work

If students wish to have a consultation about their final grade they can make an appointment with the course coordinator within two weeks after the grades are published online.  

Assignments

The course has several group assignments, overview of details on the specific assignments will be given on canvas
1) Presentation week 1 – presentation about the scientific background of your proposal (around 20 min). Pass-fail assessment
2) Presentation week 2 – Present your idea to you scientific teacher and students (10 min). Note, presentations of week 1 and 2 should be given by different members of the group. This grade will account for 10% of your final grade. 
3) Presentation week 3- Present how you validate your idea to entrepreneurial coaches (10-15 min presentation). Pass-fail
4) Week 4 hand in your first version of your business plan to receive feedback by the entrepreneurial coaches. Deadline to be announced on canvas
5) Week 6: assessment give feedback to fellow students. Pass-fail
6) Week 7: Video pitch of 3 minutes to present your idea to the broader audience. Pass-fail
7) Week 8: final pitch of 5 minutes to present your idea to broad audience. This grade will account for 25% of your final grade.
8) Week 8: hand in final business plan. Final date to be announced on Canvas. This grade will account for 40% of your final grade. 

If you fail an assesment 0,5 grade will be deducted from your final grade. 

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. I. Jongerius PhD

• dr. Rixt van der Veen