INTRODUCTION

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a global resource for describing, understanding and conserving plants and fungi. Kew has one of the largest and most diverse collections of plant and fungal specimens (living and preserved) in the world. Our unique combination of extensive collections, databases, scientific expertise and global partnerships gives Kew a leading role in facilitating access to fundamental plant and fungal information. The core purpose of Kew’s science stems from a simple but often overlooked truth: all our lives depend on plants.

The arts, humanities and social sciences are integral to the work of many of Kew’s 350 science staff, reflecting both its role as the holder of exceptional heritage collections, and the place of humans in using and managing plants. Kew’s commitment to interdisciplinary work is reflected in its wide range of collaboration with varied institutions, the recruitment of staff with diverse curation or research expertise, and a significant number of PhD students and project staff carrying out arts and humanities research. Kew’s work and collections, and the opportunities for public engagement with its visitors, form a secure basis for a wide range of research possibilities.

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

Kew is engaged in a wide range of research consortia. Some are science-based, including the work on collections with the EU-funded SYNTHESYS and the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo), a joint Masters’ programme with Queen Mary, University of London, and several NERC Doctoral Training Programmes.

Consortia focusing on the arts and humanities include the AHRC TECHNE Doctoral Training Programme and the Science Museums and Archives Consortium (SMAC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership. Masters’ level training and placements are provided for a wide range of mainly London-based courses, including Museum Studies, and Conservation for Archaeology and Museums (UCL) and History of Design (RCA).

Kew’s membership of the Independent Research Organization Consortium reflects the strong connections of its work and collections with those of other major museums, whether in topics such as world cultures and art and design, or in shared challenges such as mass digitisation.