Our School

Our School features a vibrant community of staff and students that continues a 400-year history of scientific exploration with innovative work that seeks to shape tomorrow’s world

National and International Success

We are one of the largest and most highly rated centres of our kind in the UK and one of the top 25 worldwide for biological sciences according to QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019.

• 130 principal investigators - academic teaching staff and independently funded senior research fellows
• 400 research assistants and technicians  
• 200 PhD students
• 90 administrative and technical staff

Academic Staff List

91 per cent of our biological sciences research is rated either 4* world leading or 3* internationally excellent on the overall quality profile of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014

Our Research 

You’ll have access to a broad range of expertise within our six discipline-based research institutes covering biology from molecular structure to evolutionary and population biology. 

We place a particularly strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research, linking complementary approaches in theoretical and experimental science and working closely with physical sciences, engineering, medical and veterinary sciences.

Research

We are ranked third in the UK for research quality (Research Fortnight REF 2014)

Our Postgraduate Research programmes

We offer PhD projects across the spectrum of biological sciences. Around 60 new PhD students start their research and training with us each year.  

Apply for a PhD

We can also offer supervision for research projects tailored to your own interests lasting a year (MSc by Research) or two years (MPhil) where you will pursue your individual research project under supervision and submit a thesis.

Apply for a Masters by Research or MPhil