About the job

Job summary

We are seeking applications from promising early-career scientists with interesting, innovative, and viable research ideas for the Future Leader Fellowship in Plant and Fungal Science. 

The Future Leader Fellowship in Plant and Fungal Science provides a unique opportunity for early-career researchers to develop their scientific portfolio and skills in a vibrant research environment, working with colleagues in Kew Science to make substantial contributions to challenges facing humanity.  

Kew offers five Future Leader Fellowships each year, aligned across our Research Priorities.  

This Fellowship is within the Trait Diversity and Function Priority of the Kew Science Strategy. The successful candidate will be based at Kew or Wakehurst depending on the discipline.

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated scientist to undertake research aligned with the Trait Diversity and Function (TDF) priority of our ambitious strategy for Kew Science and Kew’s Manifesto for Change.   

The overarching goal of TDF is to ‘understand plant and fungal traits, to aid conservation, increase resilience to global change, and explore their uses and benefits for human health and well-being.’  Your work will contribute to the delivery of at least one of the following four ambitious initiatives. With such a diversity of expertise in TDF, multidisciplinary research is strongly encouraged.   

Adaptation and Resilience aims to understand and utilise plant and fungal traits to increase resilience. This Initiative provides a fundamental understanding of how plants and fungi evolve to overcome physical, environmental and biological challenges, especially those due to climate change and infectious diseases, through the exploration of variation in the genomes, morphology, ploidy, physiology and chemistry of plants and fungi, as well as the diversity and characteristics of plant microbiomes.  

Person specification

Biointeractions and Bioactive Molecules explores biological interactions and bioactive molecules to unlock useful properties in plants and fungi. The interaction of plants and fungi with other organisms (e.g. pollinators, herbivores, disease agents, mycorrhizal fungi) is a driver of biological and chemical processes that mediate defence, attraction, adaptation and diversification. This Initiative explores this biological interface to reveal the bioactive molecules and mechanisms that underpin these processes.  In addition, this Initiative investigates the molecular basis of useful traits, from food and medicines to enhanced ecosystem services and landscapes. 

Enhancing Survival aims to discover key survival traits for plant and fungal preservation and sustainable use A crucial human contribution to the survival of our planet is the successful protection of plants (mainly through seeds) and fungi in biobanks, so they can be used as assets for nature-based solutions and the restoration of threatened species and habitats. Bio-banked material also enables the discovery of new traits and properties of value to humans and the environment.  

Sustainable Agriculture aims to identify and utilise traits to develop crops for sustainable agriculture.  Food production faces considerable challenges, particularly in an era of accelerated climate change and increasing pressure on land due to the growing global population. Conversely, agriculture is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss, which also needs to be addressed. This Initiative combines innovative research with RBG Kew’s expert knowledge on plant and fungal diversity and data from our extensive collections. 

Applicants must include a research CV and a research plan as attachments on their online application form. The research plan does not have a set format but should not exceed three sides of A4. The research plan should provide an outline of what your plans would be for the four-year Fellowship, which will then be developed into a full research plan in collaboration with your line manager if successful. 

Interviews are likely to take place in between 20 May and 7 June, with the Fellowship commencing in September 2024. 

This role is based at Kew or Wakehurst with the option of regular home working, subject to operational requirements.

Benefits

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application via the Kew Gardens website. 

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.