THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL

The School of Biological Sciences is one of the largest units in the Faculty of Science. The School has approximately 1,100, 350 and 150 undergraduate students in first, second and third years respectively. It has up to 30 Honours and Graduate Diploma students and over 90 Postgraduate research students. Its undergraduate teaching and postgraduate research have an emphasis on physiology, ecology, evolution, taxonomy, cell biology, molecular biology and genetics. The range of environmental (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) and taxonomic (protistan, plant, fungal and animal) diversity within these fields is one of the strengths of the School. It complements other biologically-based but more narrowly-focussed departments within the University (Biochemistry, Microbiology, Histology and Embryology, Physiology, Crop Sciences) that provide additional study options for undergraduates and co-supervision opportunities (among others) for postgraduates (see later).

Research activities are well-funded. Staff obtain currently over $3,000,000 in competitive research grants per annum.

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