Postgraduate Research at Kew

Postgraduate researchers have access to Kew’s world-renowned collections of living and preserved plant materials and its botanical library and illustrations, as well as to the excellent laboratory facilities.

Slide of Ulmus minor used in a wood anatomy PhD study

PhD study of wood anatomy of Ericales and other plant orders (Image: RBG Kew)

PhD projects

Postgraduate students work alongside highly experienced botanists, conservationists and horticulturists, with expertise in studying the world’s diverse plant families. All of Kew’s PhD projects are undertaken in collaboration with a partner university, either in the UK or in another part of the world. Each student has at least two supervisors, one from Kew and one from the partner university. As an Affiliated Research Centre of the Open University, Kew has enabled several of its own staff to undertake PhD projects, related to their ongoing work programmes.

Most of Kew’s postgraduate studentships are funded as part of specific research projects. Kew staff also supervise other postgraduate students, who are developing project ideas relevant to the science teams, and have full funding (such as Marie Curie Fellowships, Leonardo da Vinci Scholarships or Commonwealth Scholarships).