CQUniversity Unit Profile.

In this assessment, you are required to prepare an individual written research grant application in response to a simulated funding call known as the Student Innovation Grant Scheme (SIGS).

This task has been designed to replicate the structure and expectations of a competitive research funding process commonly encountered in academic, government, and industry settings. You will propose a chemistry-led research project that explicitly incorporates nanoscience or nanotechnology principles to address a current or emerging environmental or health-related challenge.

You must identify a clearly defined and topical problem, from this list:

1. Emerging contaminants
2. Microplastics
3. PFAS
4. Traumatic brain injury

You must justify its significance using recent peer-reviewed scientific literature. Your proposal must demonstrate how a nanotechnology-enabled approach provides a clear advantage over conventional bulk-scale chemical methods.

The grant application must include a critical literature review, clearly articulated research aims and hypotheses, an appropriate and feasible methodology, and a justification of the project’s innovation, risks, ethical considerations, and anticipated outcomes. You are also required to prepare a realistic, itemised research budget aligned with the proposed experimental design.

Projects must be scoped to a 12-month undergraduate-level research timeframe and be feasible within a laboratory, analytical, or applied chemistry context. Where health-related topics are selected, proposals must be pre-clinical and non-invasive. Clinical trials, human testing, or patient-based studies are not permitted.

This assessment develops your ability to apply nanotechnology concepts within chemistry, critically evaluate scientific literature, design applied research, and communicate scientific ideas in a professional grant-writing format.

A 72 hour grace period applies to this Assessment Task.

Level of Gen-AI use allowed: Level 3 - You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.

Identification of Research Problem: 15%
Literature Review and Evidence Base: 20%
Research Aims and Hypotheses: 10%
Methodology and Experimental Design: 20%
Nanotechnology and Chemistry Insight: 10%
Feasibility, Risk, and Ethics: 10%
Budget and Justification: 5%
Communication and Writing Quality: 10%

The Assessment Task relates to the compulsory Residential School. At the Residential School, you may work in pairs or groups on experiments. For the Assessment Task, you will write up an individual scientific report of the experiments and activities undertaken during the Residential School.

A 72 hour grace period applies to this Assessment Task.

Level of Gen-AI use allowed: Level 3 - You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.

Introduction and Background: 30%
Very convincing justifications for the merits of the experiments and why the work is important
Demonstration of theory to analytical applications

Literature: 10%
Scientific literature, externally cited in the correct format to justify claims and explanations

Data Analysis and Interpretation: 50%
Correct calculations
Data interpretation well-positioned to reinforce the argument(s)
Data tabulated and graphs generated on computer
Correctly labelled figures and tables

Overall Presentation: 10%
No typos, cohesive and very easy to follow arguments

The Take Home Exam will contain a mix of short-answer and longer, descriptive-answer questions.  It will cover content from the teaching term, including the Residential School.  The mark allocations per question will be provided on the Assessment. 

The Take Home Exam will be available for 24 hours.

Duration of Exam: 2 hours

You must open the Take Home Exam within the 24 hour period and submit it. Please ensure that you have given yourself sufficient time to attempt all the questions and upload your answers.

No grace period applies to this Assessment Task.

Level of Gen-AI use allowed: Level 1 (No AI) - The assessment is completed entirely without Al assistance in a controlled environment, ensuring that you rely solely on your existing knowledge, understanding, and skills. You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

The Online Test will be an assortment of problem-solving and extended-answer questions. The mark allocations per question will be provided on the Assessment with each question.