RISSC201

• Faculty of Science Strategic Plan and FOS Research Themes

  • Biomolecular Interactions
  • Analyses
  • Beyond the cell
• Assessment


  • Coursework Tests and Assignments (30%)
  • Seminars (10%)
  • Proposal (10%)
  • End of course examination (50%)
• Module Objectives


  • Understand research terminology and assess published research
  • Identify the methods best suited for investigating different types of problems and questions
  • Develop research questions that are based on and build upon a critical appraisal of existing research
  • Design a research proposal
  • Begin initial preparations for embarking on a research project
• Learning Outcomes


  • Realize the importance of research for scientific development
  • Understand the characteristics of research problems and the evolution of the research process
  • Formulate a research problem in their area of specialization
  • Gather and critically evaluate information which addresses specific research questions
  • Design a solution to the research problem
  • Design experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution
  • Collect and analyse experimental results
  • Formulate valid conclusions from experimental results
  • Recognise the stylistic conventions of written and oral scientific discourse and how these vary according to the requirements of the target audience with appropriate use of bibliographic citations and references in a professional manner
  • Write a well-structured and coherent research document
  • Present and effectively communicate the results of the research in written and oral forms in a manner that is appropriate to an audience with less, similar or more experience than themselves, and following the conventions of professional scientific discourse
  • Practice as an ethical researcher and innovator as part of a collaborative team
• Attributes of the desired student

  • Knowledgeable
  • Practical skills
  • Problem solving ability
  • ICT competence
  • Social skills & responsibility
  • Ethics and values
  • Entrepreneurship
• Strategic Plan Pillars


  • Research and Innovation
  • High Quality Teaching and Learning
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Talent Identification, Nurturing & Mentorship
  • Engagement & Networking
  • Facilities and Infrastructure
  • Internal Management Efficiencies
• Research and Innovation


  To develop & promote a programmatic approach to research, innovation for generation of knowledge products, goods and services that respond to needs of industry, commerce & society
• 5 key research clusters

  • Geospatial, Earth and Space Sciences
  • Sustainable Industrial Technologies and Computational Science
  • Natural Sciences and Products
  • Biotechnology and Genomics
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
• Natural Sciences & Products (NSR)

  • Apiculture, Aquaculture & Fisheries
  • Water Resources Management
  • Plant Products/Plant Systematics
  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Pest control in Forestry and Agriculture
  • Industrial and Environmental Microbiology
  • Material Science and Nanotechnology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Mineral Exploration
  • Biochemical Pharmacology
• Key Thrusts of Natural Sciences & Products

  Use fundamental scientific and technological knowledge for the isolation and identification of natural products with significant potential for application in industry and as therapeutic agents
• Biotechnology and Genomics (BTG)

  • Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
  • Immunology, Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases
  • Bioinformatics and Genomics
• Key Thrusts of Biotechnology and Genomics

  • Exploitation of biological resources for the production and development of a range of bio-products and their use for industrial, environmental, medical and chemical/biochemical applications
  • Develop innovative bioinformatics technologies to facilitate application of genomic information to improve health care and to respond to industrial needs
• Creativity


  Ability to develop new ideas and to discover new ways of looking at problems & opportunities
• Innovation


  Ability to apply creative solutions to those problems & opportunities to enhance or to enrich people's lives
• Phases of Creative Process

  • Background or Knowledge Accumulation
  • The Incubation Process
  • The Idea Experience
  • Evaluation and Implementation
• Components of Creativity


  • Creative thinking skills
  • Knowledge
  • Motivation
• Creative thinking skills


  The use of creative intelligence to approach problems and find solutions
• Four styles of creative intelligence

  • Intuitive
  • Innovative
  • Imaginative
  • Inspirational
• Motivation


  • Extrinsic
  • Intrinsic
• Creativity is thinking new things, Innovation is doing new things
• Entrepreneurs succeed by thinking and doing new things or old things in new way
• Having a great new idea is not enough; transforming the idea into a tangible product, service or business venture is the essential next step
• Today's successful companies live and die according to the quality of their ideas
• Components of Innovation


  • Novelty
  • Function
  • Technic
  • Design
  • Implementation
  • Modification
• Incremental Innovation


  Simple changes or adjustments in existing products, services, or processes, Continuous improvement, Trying to find ways to improve and enhance a company's products and processes from design through assembly, sales, and service
• Breakthrough Innovation


  An innovation in a product, process, technology, or the cost associated with it that represents a quantum leap forward in one or more of those ways
• Risks Associated with Innovation

  • Market risk
  • Technology risk
• Factors influencing Innovation Behavior of the Enterprise

  • External factors (market environment characteristics, regional institutional characteristics, policy institutions)
  • Internal factors (organizational, personal, financial, etc.)
• Competitive Advantage/Innovate


  Difficult to imitate, Sustainable, Significant value to customer
• Obstacles to Innovation


  • Conservative and hierarchical structures hostile/unfriendly to innovation
  • New ideas threaten the profits of existing products and services
  • Inventors not able to present ideas in business terms; many do not even see the business benefits of their ideas
  • General no-saying attitude of people & culture of the enterprise
• Innovation Process


  • Analytical Planning
  • Organizing Resources
  • Implementation
  • Commercial Application
• Sources for Innovative Idea

  • Family, Friends, Relatives
  • Market Research Firms
  • Industry
  • Consumers
  • Channel partners
  • Existing goods and services
  • Suppliers
  • Competitors
  • Employees
• Methods of Generating New Ideas

  • Focus groups
  • Brainstorming
  • Problem inventory analysis
  • Reverse brainstorming
  • Brain writing
  • Attribute Listing
  • SCAMMPERR
• Focus Groups


  A group method for obtaining new ideas & concepts, with 6-12 members and a moderator who focuses the discussion in a directive or nondirective manner
• Brainstorming


  A group method for obtaining new ideas & solutions, with 4 rules: no criticism, freewheeling encouraged, quantity of ideas desired, combinations and improvements of ideas encouraged
• Focus groups are structured/moderated, while brainstorming is not a debate or discussion, it's people giving lots of ideas without criticism allowed
• Problem Inventory Analysis


  Consumers are provided with a list of problems in a general product category, then asked to identify and discuss products in this category that do not have particular problems, to test a new product idea
• Reverse Brainstorming


  A group method for obtaining new ideas focusing on the negative, by finding fault by asking "in how many possible ways can the idea flop", to maintain group morale, stimulate innovative thinking, and identify problems to overcome
• Brain Writing


  A silent, written generation of ideas by a group of people, where the idea sheet is passed around
• Attribute Listing


  Identifying the attributes of a product or process, choosing interesting attributes, identifying alternative ways to achieve each attribute, and combining alternatives to create a new approach