Project Bids

You need to make a final choice of three project topics that you would like to bid to work on.

The closing date for your bid is shown in the Timetable.

This section describes the following issues:

• Expected number of projects

• Order of preference for Bids

• Projects from one supervisor

• Student suggestions

• Related projects

• Relevant projects

Expected number of projects

You are expected to Bid for three projects.

If you Bid for fewer than three projects, it might be that we cannot allocate a project to you in the Phase 1 of the Project Allocation. If that happens, you will enter Phase 2, as described in the Allocations section.

Order of preference and comment for Bids

You can order the three project topics into your 1st, 2nd and 3rd preference. We will try to allocate your 1st preference, but if that is not possible, we will see if we can allocate your 2nd preference. If that is not possible we will attempt to allocate your 3rd preference.

There will be a comment box to allow you to enter additional information about your Bids. The comment is optional. If a project is listed with ‘Couple of projects’ or ‘Multiple projects’ then please add a note to clarify any extra discussion you had with the supervisor about the focus for the project.

Projects from one supervisor

We limit the three bids to include only one topic from a single supervisor. This means that will bid for topics from three different supervisors (or two supervisors and one of your own). That is done to encourge everyone to mix-up their choices and help with the allocation process.

One reason that we cannot allocate a project is that the staff member has reached the maximum number of projects that can be supervised given their overall workload. If a student was able to Bid for more than one project with the staff member, then the student would quickly be out of options during Phase 1 of the allocation stage.

You can use the comment box on the bidding form to explain if you are interested in other topics from the same supervisors that you have listed in your three bids. The allocation will focus on the three bids that you specify, but we may take into account the comments if that would help us to make a better overall allocation.

Student suggestions

If you have entered your own project suggestion, it will have been reviewed by the Module Co-ordinator and relevant staff members. If it was agreed that you could include your project suggestion as one of your Bids, then it will be available for you to select on the MMP Website.

See the Project Suggestions description for information about how you can make your own suggestions.

Related topics

When bidding for a project, think carefully about the other projects that you bid for. Depending on the combination of what you choose, we may struggle to find a suitable allocation. For example, if you would like to work on something game related, selecting three game-related topics might seem like a good way to end up with a project allocation that involves game technology. If a number of students also do that and pick similar options, then it might be difficult to allocate you any of your Bids.

If you would like to work on a particular style of project, a game in this example, it is OK to include relevant projects in your Bid. However, it is better if at least one of your Bids is for a different style of project.

Learn what each project involves

It is very important that you make time to find out what each project might involve, including the one that you put down as your 3rd preference. There is the possibility that you could be allocated your 2nd or 3rd preference. Please do not be in a position where you are allocated one of your lower preferences and you do not know what that topic would involve.

Relevant projects

Your Bids must be for projects that are relevant for your degree scheme. For example, if you are on the AI and Robotics degree scheme, then there should be a notable element of Artificial Intelligence or Robotics in the project that you work on.

The MMP Website will not check if the project is relevant for your degree scheme - a manual check is made by the Module Co-ordinator during Phase 1 of the Project Allocations. If you enter a Bid for a project that is not relevant for your degree scheme, we will ignore that project and look at the other projects that you bid for. If none of the projects that you bid for are relevant to your degree scheme, you will be moved to Phase 2 of the allocation process.

Entering your Bids

You will use the MMP Website to enter your bids. You will be able to select the projects to add to your list of bids and you can arrange them in order of preference. You will have a few days to make your choices and you can change the projects and the order of the projects at any time before the deadline.

You will select your three bids from the list of topics that you have added to your Shortlist.

Summary

• You are expected to bid for three possible projects.

• One of the bids could be for your own project suggestion, if that has been approved by the Module Co-ordinator.

• You can only bid for one project from any one staff member.

• The projects that you bid for must be relevant for your degree scheme.