Strategy and statistics
Strategy
Our mission is to enable our students and staff to fulfil their learning and discovery aspirations in the chemical and molecular life sciences by creating an environment that promotes learning and discovery, rewards excellence and innovation, and encourages School-wide engagement with stakeholders.
We aim to be recognised nationally and internationally for excellence in research, teaching and engagement.
Our operational plan is aligned with the Faculty of Science and University strategic plans.
Statistics
Students and graduates
Each year, we teach more than 8200 individual students and produce around 370 graduates from our programs.
| Students 2025 (at 31 August 2025*) | Enrolments | Equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) | International EFTSL (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (including Honours and MD) | 6996 | 1114 | 23 |
| Postgraduate by coursework | 1039 | 529 | 87 |
| Higher degree by research | 200 | 138 | 59 |
| Total | 8235 | 1781 | 45 |
| * unofficial | |||
| Graduates (in programs/majors administered by the School) | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Graduates (coursework) | 338 |
| PhDs and MPhils awarded | 45 |
| University Medallists | 5 |
Staff
Our School comprises 75 staff on continuing appointments (excluding embedded profesional staff who report to Faculty or Central) and 92 (mostly research) staff on fixed-term contracts.
| Staff 2025 (at 24 September 2025, excludes casuals) | Headcount | Full-time equivalent (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| Professor | 33 | 27.3 |
| Associate Professor | 13 | 12.5 |
| Adjunct Professor/Associate Professor | 15 | - |
| Senior Lecturer | 7 | 6.8 |
| Lecturer | 5 | 4.1 |
| Associate Lecturer | 1 | 0.4 |
| Research focussed (academic) | 65 | 62.7 |
| Research only (professional) | 16 | 14.6 |
| Honorary/Emeritus | 42 | - |
| Administrative (excludes embedded Central/Faculty staff) | 3 | 2.8 |
| Technical (excludes embedded Central/Faculty staff) | 25 | 21.9 |
| Total on payroll (ie excluding Adjunct, Honorary and Emeritus) | 168 | 153.1 |
Budget and research
Our annual income is close to $40 million.
| Income and research | Amount and year |
|---|---|
| University operating grant (including tuition fees) | $18.1m (2025 budgeted) |
| Research income (grants, industry, CRCs) | $17.1m (2025 budgeted) |
| Total income (all sources) | $39.1m (2025 budgeted) |
| Average number of grants held per FTE academic staff member (Level B and above) | 2.11 (2024) |
| Average research income per FTE academic staff member (Level B and above) | $263,654 (2024) |
| HDR student staff ratio (EFTSL to FTE academic staff member Level B and above) | 1.96 (2024) |