Our School

National and International Success

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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 2024.

• 150 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

94 per cent of our biological sciences research activity is rated in the highest categories - classed as 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent' by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

Our Research 

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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 fifth in the UK, and top ranked in Scotland, for the quality and breadth of our research, known as research power, by Times Higher Education. The rankings are based on the result of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Our Postgraduate Research programmes

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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