The mission of the Electron Microscope Unit at UNSW can be summarised as “Research Services, Research Training and Research Programs”.

In terms of “Research Services” the unit provides microscopy services to around 350 researchers not only drawn from the UNSW research community, but from dozens of other universities, government and corporate research bodies.

Data generated in the unit leads to over 300 peer reviewed papers each year.

“Research training” is conducted not only through training courses, workshops and seminars, but also through ‘one-on-one’ training ‘at the column’. The philosophy of the unit is that researchers learn most effectively when they acquire their own data from their own specimens. We teach each user microscopy on a ‘ need to know’ basis, so they are most familiar with the techniques relevant to their specimens.

Academic staff in the Unit maintain personal programs of research. Staff are active in research student supervision and hold grants awarded by the ARC and other funding agencies. Profiles of the unit's academic staff may be accessed from the Staff Page.