This is an introductory data science unit for students in the agricultural, life and environmental sciences. It provides the foundation for statistics and data science skills that are needed for a career in science and for further study in applied statistics and data science. The unit focuses on developing critical and statistical thinking skills for all students. It has 4 modules: exploring data, modelling data, sampling data and making decisions with data. Students will use problems and data from the physical, health, life and social sciences to develop adaptive problem-solving skills in a team setting. Taught interactively with embedded technology, ENVX1002 develops critical thinking and skills to problem-solve with data.

In the 21st century the population of the world will increase both in size and its expectation in terms of food, energy and consumer demands. Against this demand we have a planet in crisis where natural resources are degraded, biodiversity is diminishing and planetary cycles related to climate are reaching points of irreversible change. Management of our precious natural resources is a balancing act between production and conservation as always, but now we have to do this against a background of potential large scale changes in climate. In this unit students will gain an understanding of the key environmental challenges of the 21st century; namely food security, climate change, water security, biodiversity protection, ecosystems services and soil security. In the second half, using Australian case studies, we will explore how we manage different agro-ecosystems within their physical constraints around water, climate and soil, while considering linkages with the global environmental challenges. Management now, in the past and the future will be considered, with an emphasis on food production. This unit is recommended unit for students interested in gaining a broad overview of the environmental challenges of the 21st century, both globally and within Australia.

This unit builds on introductory 1st year statistics units and is targeted towards students in the agricultural, life and environmental sciences. It consists of two parts and presents, in an applied manner, the statistical methods that students need to know for further study and their future careers. In the first part the focus is on designed studies including both surveys and formal experimental designs. Students will learn how to analyse and interpret datasets collected from designs from more than 2 treatment levels, multiple factors and different blocking designs. In the second part the focus is on finding patterns in data. In this part the students will learn to model relationships between response and predictor variables using regression, and find patterns in datasets with many variables using principal components analysis and clustering. This part provides the foundation for the analysis of big data. In the practicals the emphasis is on applying theory to analysing real datasets using the statistical software package R. A key feature of the unit is using R to develop coding skills that have become essential in science for processing and analysing datasets of ever-increasing size.

The food and beverage sector is one of the key economic activities in virtually all countries in the world today. When it comes to logistics and supply chain management within this sector, there is a level of complexity, not frequently found in other industries. This includes the need to consider products bulkiness, perishability and seasonality, coupled with potential additional infrastructure requirements in respect of temperature-controlled storage and transport. As a consequence, there is a higher imperative to have a well-designed end-to-end supply chain. Equally, it is important to understand issues from the perspectives of the various actors in food and beverage supply chains including farms, processing units, wholesalers / distributors, and retailers. Overarching the structuring of any food and beverage supply chain will be consideration of issues such as perishability, quality and risk. Further, for a supply chain to be effective and efficient consideration also needs to be given to the support functions of information management, use of technology, and financial reporting. In today's world, companies compete on supply chains. Those who have the ability to establish a distinctive supply chain and create it as a strategic asset will, therefore, emerge as industry leaders.

The Food and Agribusiness sector is an important part of the Australian economy and makes a significant contribution to employment, business and service opportunities. This unit of study offers you work-integrated learning in this sector through an industry placement. Here, you will consolidate and contextualise the knowledge and skills in applied science and business that you have gained in the food and agribusiness stream in an authentic practical setting. Businesses and organisations that have agreed to host you include small-medium enterprises (SMEs), large national and multinational companies, and government and non-government organisations with roles in the production, processing, distribution, marketing, research and development, policy-making or regulation of agri-food products. Your student learning outcomes will be achieved in several ways. First, pre-placement training on 'soft skills' including inter-personal, communication and self-management skills will improve your work-readiness and build your confidence. Throughout the industry placement, you will be offered mentoring by an assigned academic mentor in addition to your workplace supervisor. Finally, the assessment tasks have been designed to ensure that the internship is accompanied by continued development of your research skills, reflective practice, critical thinking, analytical perspectives, and reporting skills.

As the world's population builds towards 9 billion, we are challenged to create agriculture efficiencies and ensure food and water safety and security. Solutions from the Life Sciences are needed to meet these demands. In this unit you will have the opportunity to develop practical solutions from a range of discipline areas including agriculture, animal science, environmental management, food production and agribusiness. These skills and experiences will facilitate your understanding of current practices and innovations used in the development and management of natural and production ecosystems. The unit builds on applied knowledge gained from units of study undertaken throughout a degree in Life Sciences. As part of a small group of students, you will have the opportunity to work on a collaborative industry relevant research project. The activities will include the design of the study; generation, management and analysis of data; and presenting your findings to a diverse audience both orally and in written format. You will work collaboratively learning skills for better communication, organisation and time management and communication - all of which are competencies that are highly valued by employers and indicate professionalism. By doing this you will gain the ability to work collaboratively in a small team which is part of the essential foundation for a successful career pathway.

Food science and technology are evolving rapidly, driven by several forces including highly competitive national and international markets for food products; ongoing changes in consumer preferences, including those directed at sustainability and convenience, as well as an expansion in the range of available ingredients. This unit of study explores six major topics in contemporary food science and technology: New fast-reliable techniques and technologies to test food ingredients and final food products; Novel ingredients for food production; New food processing technologies; Recent innovations in Australian native food production; Advanced methods to simulate human sensing and digestion of foods, and New strategies to minimize food waste and to add value to by-products of food production. You will become familiar with a broad spectrum of ways in which food science and technology is adapting to meet current and future challenges in the world's biggest industry. You will learn about specific problems in food production and how these can be overcome using modern approaches and methods that take advantage of the latest science and technology. The topics covered will help you gain advanced insights into future foods from both a global and Australian perspective. By doing this unit of study you will gain cutting-edge concepts and knowledge in food science, which will be highly relevant to either further study or as a professional food scientist.

Advances in digital technology are creating new ways to quantify biological processes and properties, from the scale of molecules to ecosystems. The life scientist of the 21st century needs to understand how to collect, manage, synthesise, and communicate this information within a reproducible workflow in order to make robust inferences about the natural world. This intensive unit of study will introduce you to key concepts and tools across three modules: digital project and data management, evidence synthesis and meta-analysis, and scientific coding using R. The focus is on active learning, discussion, and problem-solving across intensive workshop-based practicals, rather than the traditional lecture format. By completing this unit you will further understand the practical realities of scientific inquiry. To that end, you will develop a flexible skillet for conducting reproducible and open research to ensure the results of your work are maximally beneficial to both your future self and the broader community. Knowledge of how to work with data through the entire pipeline -from sampling to synthesis-will be useful wherever it is encountered in your education, career, and life.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough". This quote is widely attributed to Albert Einstein, but regardless of its provenance, it suggests that one measure of an expert's knowledge can be found in their ability to translate complex ideas so that they are accessible to anyone. The communication of science to the public is essential for science and society. In order to increase public understanding and appreciation of science, researchers must be able to explain their results, and the wider context of their research, to non-experts. This unit will explore some theoretical foundations of science communications, identify outstanding practitioners and empower students to produce effective science communication in different media. In this unit you will learn the necessary skills and techniques to tell engaging and informative science stories in order to bring complex ideas to life, for non-expert audiences. By undertaking this unit you will develop a greater understanding of the wider context of your honours unit, advance your communication skills and be able to explain your honours research to non-expert audiences such as friends, family or future employers. These transferable skills will equip you for future research - where emphasis is increasingly placed on public communication and/or outreach - or professional pathways - where effective communication of complex ideas is highly valued.

An indispensable attribute of an effective scientific researcher is the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data. Central to this process is the ability to create hypotheses and test these by using rigorous experimental designs. This modular unit of study will introduce the key concepts of experimental design and data analysis. Specifically, you will learn to formulate experimental aims to test a specific hypothesis. You will develop the skills and understanding required to design a rigorous scientific experiment, including an understanding of concepts such as controls, replicates, sample size, dependent and independent variables and good research practice (e.g. blinding, randomisation). By completing this unit you will develop the knowledge and skills required to appropriately analyse and interpret data in order to draw conclusions in the context of an advanced research project. From this unit of study, you will emerge with a comprehensive understanding of how to optimise the design and analysis of an experiment to most effectively answer scientific questions.

In the contemporary world, a wide variety of ethical concerns impinge upon the practice of scientific research. In this unit, you will learn how to identify potential ethical issues within science, acquire the tools necessary to analyse them, and develop the ability to articulate ethically sound insights about how to resolve them. In the first portion of the unit, you will be familiarised with how significant developments in post-World War II science motivated sustained ethical debate among scientists and in society. In the second portion of the unit, you will select from either a Human Ethics module or an Animal Ethics module and learn the requirements of how to ensure your research complies with appropriate national legislation and codes of conduct. By undertaking this unit, you will develop the ability to conduct scientific research in an ethically justifiable way, place scientific developments and their application in a broader social context, and analyse the social implications and ethical issues that may potentially arise in the course of developing scientific knowledge.

In Industry and Community Project units students work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams on complex ‘real world’ problems under a theme developed in collaboration with industry and community partners. Briefed by the partners and guided by project supervisors, students use systems thinking approaches to design their own projects and engage in self-directed inquiry-based research to provide final recommendations. In this unit, students will develop their own professional identity through participation in communities of practice and reflective practice, together with an in-depth understanding of specific project-related matters. This experience will equip students with an agile mindset and skillset that will assist them to successfully navigate dynamic future environments and career paths. See the ICPU website for further information here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/industry-and-community-projects/4000-level-projects.html

In Industry and Community Project units students work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams on complex ‘real world’ problems under a theme developed in collaboration with industry and community partners. Briefed by the partners and guided by project supervisors, students use systems thinking approaches to design their own projects and engage in self-directed inquiry-based research to provide final recommendations. In this unit, students will develop their own professional identity through participation in communities of practice and reflective practice, together with an in-depth understanding of specific project-related matters. This experience will equip students with an agile mindset and skillset that will assist them to successfully navigate dynamic future environments and career paths. See the ICPU website for further information here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/industry-and-community-projects/4000-level-projects.html

This unit aims to develop a student's ability to undertake a major research project in an area of specialization. The unit builds on theoretical and applied knowledge gained across most of the units of study undertaken throughout their degree program. This unit is a corequisite with AFNR4102 and each student will work with an academic supervisor in an area of specialization and develop a well-defined research project to be executed. The research project is undertaken to advance the students ability to build well-developed research skills, a strong analytical capacity, and the ability to provide high quality research results demonstrating a sound grasp of the research question. Working with an academic supervisor, students will develop their ability to define a research project including the producing of testable hypotheses, identifying existing knowledge from reviewing the literature, and the design and execution of a research strategy towards solving the research question. Students will build on their previous research and inquiry skills through sourcing a wide range of knowledge to solve the research problem. They will enhance their intellectual and personal autonomy by means of the development of experimental programs. Students will experience presenting a project proposal. They will improve their written and planning skills by composing a research project proposal and the writing of a critical literature review.

This unit is a continuation of the major research project initiated in AFNR4101 and continues to build on theoretical and applied knowledge gained across most of the units of study undertaken throughout their degree program. Working with their academic supervisor in the area of specialization the student will continue to pursue the defined research project towards presenting final results and conclusions. The research results will be communicated as a poster, an oral presentation, and a research paper. The research paper is to be formatted as an article of a scientific journal. Students will continue to build their research skills, develop strong analytical capacity, demonstrate a sound grasp of the topic, and an ability to interpret results in a broad framework. Working with an academic supervisor, students will develop their ability to produce results of high quality, draw reliable conclusions, and identify future areas of research. Students will build on their previous research and inquiry skills through sourcing a wide range of knowledge to solve the research problem.The project will enhance their intellectual and personal autonomy by means of the managing the research program. Students will improve their communication skills through oral presentation of their research findings, the production of a poster detailing their research findings and the writing of a research paper.

Food science and technology are evolving rapidly, driven by several forces including highly competitive national and international markets for food products; ongoing changes in consumer preferences, including those directed at sustainability and convenience, as well as an expansion in the range of available ingredients. This unit of study explores six major topics in contemporary food science and technology: New fast-reliable techniques and technologies to test food ingredients and final food products; Novel ingredients for food production; New food processing technologies; Recent innovations in Australian native food production; Advanced methods to simulate human sensing and digestion of foods, and New strategies to minimize food waste and to add value to by-products of food production. You will become familiar with a broad spectrum of ways in which food science and technology is adapting to meet current and future challenges in the world's biggest industry. You will learn about specific problems in food production and how these can be overcome using modern approaches and methods that take advantage of the latest science and technology. The topics covered will help you gain advanced insights into future foods from both a global and Australian perspective. By doing this unit of study you will gain cutting-edge concepts and knowledge in food science, which will be highly relevant to either further study or as a professional food scientist.