The School of Life Sciences was established in July 2012 by merging the Research Institute of Agronomy and Life Science of CQU (founded at the end of 2007) and the Genetic Engineering Research Center, which formerly under the School of Biological Engineering of CQU. The School now has one chair professor of the Changjiang Scholars Program, and it is staffed by twenty-two full-time professors, eight associate professors, four part-time professors, three lecturers, and nine technical, administrative and clerical staff members. All full-time teachers have doctorate degrees and more than 90% of them have at least one year of overseas study or work experience. There are also thirteen postdoctoral fellows and other research staff, supported by various research grants.