The ECRF will be a key member of the Plant Health research group, a team of researchers with a primary focus on fungal and plant diversity relevant to plant health including the development of molecular identification tools, based on Kew’s world class fungal and plant collections. The team will focus on diseases of native UK plants as well as agricultural, forestry and horticultural pathogens, and may engage with citizen and international scientists in surveying, monitoring and researching plant health.

More details

You will be an outstanding early career scientist with a PhD and specialist knowledge in a field of fungal diversity, genomics, or ecology relevant to plant health awarded within the past eight years and, ideally, some postdoctoral experience. You will have a proven aptitude for delivering excellent science publications and demonstrated potential to raise science income. You will be an outstanding and enthusiastic communicator who is ready to engage with students, peers and the general public.

This role forms a key part of RBG Kew’s new Natural Capital and Plant Health Department (NCPH), which is geared to research on plants and fungi that are directly, indirectly or potentially utilisable for economic and societal purposes. The NCPH department applies the full range of diversity research techniques to increase knowledge of those plants and fungi. The research outputs will lead to sustaining and enhancing plant and fungal natural capital, in particular where it underpins provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystem services.

Kew is a world-leader in plant diversity science, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a major visitor attraction that shows the importance of plants in all our lives. Kew’s mission is to inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life.

You will join Kew’s science staff as a postdoctoral research fellow, for three years, extendable to five on review. You will conduct and publish outstanding research within the Plant Health theme, and develop funding streams to support your science alongside a cohort of other research fellows. You will be a future leader in the science disciplines pursued at Kew. The fellowship will provide you with the opportunity and skills to establish yourself as an independent researcher and to gain international recognition. At the end of the fellowship you will be a fully equipped research leader who is well-placed to secure full-time employment in science.

For full details, please see further information below.

Please complete an application form. In addition, please upload (1) a list of your publications and grants and (2) a three year research plan (max three pages) outlining your proposed research programme at Kew, which should also cover funding and publication plans (You can attach the above documents in the document upload section of the recruitment system).

Further Information

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew seeks applications from promising early-career scientists to join the Natural Capital & Plant Health Department of its Science Directorate in a research fellow role. The scheme aims to identify future leaders in the science disciplines pursued at Kew. The fellowships provide the opportunity for scientists within 8 years of securing their PhD to establish themselves as independent researchers in these disciplines and to gain international recognition. At the end of the fellowship, fellows will be well qualified to apply for permanent positions arising at Kew or in other science organisations and universities.

Value of Fellowship: Each fellowship provides a salary of £26,047 to £35,505 (depending on experience) for three years, extendable to five on review. An annual pump-priming allowance of £1000 will be provided to all fellows for labwork and travel/fieldwork, and support will be provided by Kew’s research services team to help with fund-raising. Fellows will be eligible to apply for a wide range of external grants as well as internal funding sources (e.g. Bentham-Moxon Trust, Kew Foundation). A structured training and mentoring programme will run alongside the fellowships during the first three years.

Eligibility: Successful applicants are expected to hold a relevant PhD and to have demonstrated their aptitude for delivering excellent science publications and their potential to raise science income. Ideally, applicants will have had some postdoctoral experience. As an early career opportunity, these fellowships are open to applicants within eight years of their PhD being awarded (based on full-time working). Further eligibility criteria are laid out in the person specification section of the job profile.

Review and extension of Fellowships: Fellows will be recruited for three years in the first instance. A subsequent two year extension may be awarded on successful completion of a formal academic assessment of the quality of the research in the middle of the third year of appointment (at month 30).

For more information, please visit this website or contact Dr Richard Buggs, Senior Research Leader (Plant Health). Dr Buggs will start a joint appointment at RBG, Kew and Queen Mary University of London in April 2016: r.buggs@qmul.ac.uk