WHAT IS THE SUPER SCHEME?
(South-Bank Undergraduate Participation & Experience in Research)
The SUPER (South-Bank Undergraduate Participation & Experience in Research) Scheme is a voluntary participation program for students in nutrition, sport and bioscience, from Extended Degree through to Masters level.
The SUPER Scheme allows students to flexibly participate in a range of research activities, peer to peer learning opportunities and cross subject social interactions. A wide variety of activities is on offer including recruiting and testing subjects for public health research projects, data entry and analysis, writing for an ‘in house magazine’, desk top publishing, learning support groups and even a chance to get involved in assisting teaching and learning.
SUPER Scheme members can gain Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum award certificates according to how many hours they are involved. Participation is entirely voluntary and at times chosen by the students themselves by agreement with other team members. Participation and Certification allows for significant ‘work experience’ to be gained to enhance CVs and graduate employment opportunities and boost academic performance.
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THE SOUTH BANK STUDENT SURVEY 2018-2019
The South Bank Student Survey (SSS)
The South Bank Student Survey (SSS) is a major ongoing research project looking at risk factors for the so called non-communicable disease states of Diabetes, Cancer and Cardiovascular disease (CVD). The SSS is run via the Food, Nutrition & Health Research Group and MRes and PhD students. The SSS comprises two main components:
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Core Measures of body composition, blood glucose and cholesterol, lung function and psychological measures of ‘locus of control’ and attitudes towards food and health. Every subject who is studied will have these parameters measured. Subjects from the student population will be recruited and measurements taken for a planned 10 years, to produce a database of thousands of subjects.
Project Specific Measures. Each year a number of MRes/PhD students will work on the SSS, collecting ‘core measures’ plus specific measures of their own interest. For example a current MRes student is collecting data on levels of inflammation alongside the core measures to create a unique masters research project. Other complimentary measures could include glycated haemoglobin, social status measures, body image concerns, specific dietary analysis and more.
THE SUPER SCHEME GUIDELINES
The SUPER scheme has been designed to allow volunteers to get a range of practical skills whilst contributing to the collection of data for the South Bank Health Survey as well as for MRes and PhD research projects. But there is much more to it than that! As a member of the scheme, you will have the opportunity to partake in the following tasks:
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Recruiting training and practical experience
Training to developing a range of experimental techniques and practical experience
Training in conducting nutritional consultations and practical experience
Becoming familiar with data transfer / analysis
Becoming an author for, or joining the editorial team of the SUPER scheme magazine: The Digester’s Supplement
Training and practise in searching and reporting on literature effectively
Teaching experience; assisting teaching and learning*
Management roles: become a recruitment, training or consultation training manager. Alternatively, manage our social media campaign or get involved in market research.
Senior management / ambassadorship roles are also available
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*Subject to having achieved a grade point average of 2:1 or above
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In order to be entrusted with more tasks / be given the opportunity to have even more practical experience and develop additional skills, it is important that you demonstrate that you are motivated, organized (yes…this includes turning up on time) and behave professionally at all times.
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There are 4 categories of certificates that you can achieve:
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Bronze – for completing 30 hours
Silver – for completing 60 hours
Gold – for completing 90 hours
Platinum – 90+ hours
Remember that 30 hours is only approximately equivalent to a one-week work placement, therefore you may wish to consider aiming for a higher certificate level.
Once on a platinum level certificate, students will have opportunity to apply for management positions.
Recruitment, technical and consultation training are compulsory to participate in the practical elements of the scheme and to achieve certification
After completing training you will need to pass an assessment of your recruitment, technical and consultation skills. This is not graded, and if you fail you will simply be offered more training.
There will be opportunities that you will be able to sign up to in advance; often these are on a first come first serve basis. These may include training sessions, assisting teaching and learning activities and other management roles in the scheme.
In order to run training / practical sessions efficiently, it is important that everyone involved is punctual. Repeated late arrivals may mean that you are not eligible for management positions.
If you have signed up for a training session you can no longer attend, you must notify the trainer at least 24 hours before. This is to give enough time to offer the place to other students. If you fail to do so repeatedly, you may not be given another opportunity to train and this may mean that you are removed from the scheme.
Similarly, if you do not give notice of your absence when carrying out teaching and training roles, you will no longer be eligible to apply for this opportunity in the future.
For those in managerial positions, there will be occasional meetings regarding the operation of the scheme/magazine. If you are unable to attend a meeting, you must let someone know. If you are repeatedly late or not attending sessions you have previously committed to, you may be de-assigned.
Everyone is required to complete a minimum of 100 data entries in contribution to the processing of data acquired for the SSS.