RBG Kew – Making room to grow: a datadriven approach to deaccessioning
Sector:
Industry:
Mode:
Work Format:
Location:
Contact:
The effective management and development of Kew’s living collections rely on a clear and strategic approach not only to the acquisition and retention of plant accessions with conservation, research, education and heritage value, but also to the active removal (deaccessioning) of plant accessions that no longer fulfil these roles. Material that does not contribute to these priorities impacts the carrying capacity of Kew’s collections, reducing space and resources available for plants of greater value.
However, deaccessioning must be undertaken cautiously, as poorly structured processes risk the loss of historically, scientifically or culturally irreplaceable material. Rarity, uniqueness, and conservation status are key attributes that confer value on living plant collections. Currently, deaccessioning at Kew is not supported by a fully structured, consistent, or tested institutional approach. In addition, limited staff capacity restricts the ability to scale deaccessioning work across entire collections.
Recent developments, including the implementation of an integrated collections management system (ICMS) and the introduction of a 36-month audit cycle, have significantly improved the accessibility, accuracy, and reliability of living collections data. This placement will build on existing approaches developed by other botanic gardens to design a practical and scalable deaccessioning pipeline for Kew. The project will involve developing a new tool and testing it on a defined subset of the living collections to evaluate and refine the approach.
Full description and eligibility: https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/Deaccessioning-approach-for-living-collections.pdf
Further information on individual projects as well as application guidance can also be found here: https://www.kew.org/science/training-and-education/placements-for-phd-students
If you are interested in applying for any of these placements, please send your CV and a 500-word statement of interest to sciencetraining@kew.org with the name of the placement and the name of your lead contact or supervisor from your university or DTP. We operate a quarterly application window to streamline the administration of these placements. The next application window closes on 31st July.

