*co-presenting authors
Background: How do we prepare students to become outstanding researchers when students arrive in Honours with widely differing levels of readiness for research? We often assume that critical thinking, scientific communication, experimental design and professional behaviours develop naturally in the laboratory. In reality, these foundational skills are rarely taught explicitly, leaving supervisors to bridge the gap (or not!) while students navigate the steepest learning curve of their academic careers. To address this, we designed a five-week (60-hour) Research Preparative Skills Course for Biomedical Honours students at UQ.
Methods: Rather than traditional lectures, the course uses an immersive, learner-centred model built around collaborative workshops, peer learning and authentic research activities, delivered as an intensive in the first five weeks of the Honours year. Students develop core competencies including experimental design, critical appraisal, scientific communication, data analysis, research integrity, responsible use of AI, equity and cultural capability. The major assessment involves progressively designing, creating and presenting a scientific poster based on a contemporary biomedical research paper chosen from their intended research field.
Results: The course was highly valued by students in its first two iterations (n = 22, 75). Evaluation data from both cohorts show gains in research readiness, professional skill development, confidence and sense of belonging. Equally important, the intensive classroom experience fostered a strong cohort identity and professional network, a stated UQ priority and particularly valuable for SBMS Honours students as they subsequently disperse into individual research laboratories across Brisbane.
Conclusion: This presentation will explore the philosophy behind the course, the practical challenges of delivering an intensive research bootcamp to large cohorts, and the lessons learned from its implementation.