Internships

Kew offers three types of paid internships designed to offer practical work experience and training to undergraduates and recent graduates.

Successful applicants will work alongside experienced botanists, mycologists and conservation scientists to contribute to projects designed to achieve the goals set out in Kew's Science Strategy. This could include contributing to ongoing botanical research, policy or conservation activities, and many undertake an extended project.

They receive training in key research skills from our leading experts, so these placements offer valuable hands-on, professional experience. Interns also have access to our world-renowned collections of plant and fungal specimens, and our library and research facilities.

Past internships have involved projects such as exploring the carpological collection in the herbarium, assessing mycorrhizas for ecosystem health across England, and studying the bees at Wakehurst.

If you are interested in pursuing an internship at Kew, please check the careers portal for advertisements.

Undergraduate sandwich placements

We offer six 12-month internships for undergraduates each year. Applicants must either be between their 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th year of a bachelor’s degree, or between their 3rd and 4th year of an integrated master’s degree. Interns must be studying biological sciences or a related subject to the project.

These placements start in September each year and interns will undertake a research project which will form the basis of their end of year report at university.

Undergraduate sandwich internships are advertised in the February-March each year. Please keep an eye on our careers portal for more details.

Summer internships

We offer six 8-week internships each year. Applicants must either be undergraduates with at least two years of university education, or graduates/postgraduates who have completed their degree within the last two years from the start date of the internship. This includes bachelor’s, master’s and integrated master’s degrees. Interns must be studying biological sciences or a related subject to the project.

Summer internships are advertised in March-April each year and placements begin in June or July. Please keep an eye on our careers portal for details.

Internship student looks at herbarium specimens © RBG Kew

Science Project Internships

Throughout the year, we advertise science project internships. For this internship, the placement period varies from under six months (2 – 6 months) to over six months (7 – 12 months).

For internships under six months, candidates are undergraduates with at least two years of university education, or graduates who have completed their degree within the past two years from the start date of the internship. This includes bachelor’s, master’s and integrated master’s degrees. These placements start at any time of the year.

For internships over six months, candidates are undergraduates either between their 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th year of a bachelor's degree, or 3rd and 4th year of an integrated master’s degree. These placements can start at any time in the year but always start in September if the placement is for 12 months and the intern will join the undergraduate sandwich students for any intern-related activities.

For either type of science project internship, you will be studying or will have studied biological sciences or a related subject to the project.

Science project internships are not advertised on a set schedule and there is not a specific number of placements available, like with the undergraduate sandwich and summer internships. Please keep an eye on our careers portal throughout the year for details.

Internship students standing outside the Millennium Seed Bank — Internship students standing outside our Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst © RBG Kew

Kew Internship Programme

During their internship at Kew, interns can expect to work on a project that contributes to research or conservation activities, gaining hands-on experience within their team. Alongside their project work, all interns take part in a range of training and development opportunities organised by the Science Education team as part of the Kew Internship Programme. This includes monthly sessions where interns tour behind the scenes of Kew Gardens and Wakehurst giving interns a valuable insight into the breadth of work taking place across Kew.

Undergraduate sandwich interns and science project interns (over six months) have more involvement in the programme and also prepare an activity for the annual Community Open Week and present their project findings and experience at the Intern Insight Talks held at Kew Gardens in August each year.