Teachers' Guide | Graduate School of Life Sciences

Mini-project

Most Master’s programmes have an elective component of 12 EC. These electives can be used to perform a mini-project. 

Often, these mini-projects are short research projects. Other examples include: specific training for a lab technique, writing a script for the analysis of data, contributing to an exhibition in the science museum, or writing an advisory report for a ministry or municipality. 

Many of the instructions for research projects also apply to mini-projects. If you cannot find the answer to your questions in the information below, please also read the information under research project/business internship.

Application

Students apply for a mini-project via OSIRIS Case. For more information see the OSIRIS Case manual. Among others, the following information has to be provided during the application: 

  • The content and end product(s) of the mini-project; 
  • An indication how the end products will be assessed and with what weight; 
  • Contact information of the examiner; 
  • In case of a project outside UU/UMCU: contact information of the supervisor host institute. 

External mini-project

In case of a mini-project outside UU/UMCU the supervisor host institute needs to approve the application in OSIRIS Case. After the student provides all the necessary information in OSIRIS Case, the supervisor host institute will receive an email containing instructions. Mini-projects at non-university institutes or abroad also require a signed internship contract (please contact the research project coordinators if you have any questions). The students can upload the internship contract in OSIRIS Case without the research project coordinator signature, they will receive a notification from OSIRIS Case to sign the contract.

Assessment

A mini-project can take many forms, both in size (0.5 – 12 EC), content, and end products (e.g. report, presentation, poster, advice, script). In all cases, the project needs to be graded by the examiner based on at least one end product and at least one end product has to be written material. The examiner needs to motivate their final grade ideally by using the rubrics that fit best to the deliverable(s). Asking a second reviewer is allowed, but not obligatory. Written end products need to be checked for plagiarism via Ouriginal

The assessment is done via OSIRIS Case by filling in the final assessment form. 

OSIRIS Case

The entire procedure of research projects and writing assignments within the GSLS is digitised in OSIRIS Case. As an examiner, you can approach the OSIRIS Case environment via OSIRIS Supervisor. There is a manual for examiners available with detailed instructions on this procedure.

You need to have a Solis-id and OSIRIS account to log in to OSIRIS. If you are employed by the UMCU, and you do not have a Solis-id and/or OSIRIS account yet, you can request one on the UMCU Solis account site.

FAQ

  • Why can I not log in to OSIRIS Supervisor?

There are different reasons why you might not be able to log in to OSIRIS Supervisor:

OptionWhat you need to do
2FA not workingIf the two-factor authentication (2FA) is not working properly. Please check the FAQ about 2FA. Still not working? Contact the UU IT service desk.
Solis-id not workingFor UMCU employees: please contact solisbeheer@umcutrecht.nl. For UU employees: please contact UU IT service desk.
None of the aboveContact OSIRISCaseGSLS@uu.nl.
  • Why can I not find the student in tasks?

There are different reasons why you cannot find a Case:

OptionWhat you need to do
Incorrect facultyCheck in the top right-hand corner in OSIRIS Supervisor if the correct faculty is selected.
You are not yet the active actorThe student still has an action that they need to undertake before the case is visible for you. Please remind the student that they need to click on ‘Ready’. They can do this by logging onto OSIRIS Student and selecting their case. If the student has any issues, they should check the OSIRIS Case manual for students or contact OSIRISCaseGSLS@uu.nl.
Email in junk folderPlease check your junk mail folder for the email from OSIRIS Case. If you still cannot find the email, please contact OSIRISCaseGSLS@uu.nl
Final assessment not possible yetFirst complete or approve the Interim assessment in OSIRIS Supervisor.
  • What can I do when the host supervisor did not receive a link to access OSIRIS Case?

Send OSIRISCaseGSLS@uu.nl the contact details of the host supervisor, including the email address, and a new link will be sent by them to the host supervisor.

  • What should I do if I have not been in contact with the student for a long time?

Reach out to the research project coordinator or programme coordinator, so they can help.

  • What is a ‘one-time password’?

The one-time password is generated by an authenticator app on your phone (e.g. Google authenticator) that is linked to your Solis-id. An explanation of the app can be found in this manual about two-factor-authentication.

For more frequently asked questions and answers – including those of students and the host supervisor – please visit the FAQ information on the Students’ Site.

Contact

If you have any problems, questions or suggestions, please contact OSIRISCaseGSLS@uu.nl.