Women and biodiversity: gender and the making of the Kew Fungarium, 1900-1950

Mycology is an unusual scientific field for the large numbers of women, amateurs and working-class individuals who have made significant contributions to its knowledge. The field has been neglected by historians, and its collections, such as the Fungarium at Kew Gardens, present public engagement challenges for curators. There has however been a recent surge of interest as the importance of fungi to the environment and the economy is increasingly realised.

Mycology offers insights into the social, political and cultural history of science in the first half of the twentieth century. In contrast to our impressions of modern science as abstract, generalised and laboratory-based, British mycology was a largely  field enterprise practised by a network of localised individuals and groups. It offered routes for often marginalised enthusiasts, with far greater numbers of women, and working-class naturalists than other sciences with many holding senior positions in mycological societies, departments, and institutions. The case of mycology allows for a conversation with the public about how we can all engage with biodiversity during the Anthropocene.

You will be based in the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (LCAB) at the University of York, supervised by Sabine Clarke and Nathan Smith (RBG Kew).

You will:

• examine how mycology operated through collective and collaborative modes of working and the importance of sociability—as exemplified by the “fungal foray”
• work with the mycology team at Kew to bring out the stories behind the Fungarium
• write new narratives for the public that explore how local and national communities are built and function within modern science. 

LCAB provides opportunities to interact with students and researchers across departments and institutions, and will offer additional training as required. 

Several studentships are available with LCAB – take a look at our others, including the option to submit your own research proposal.

Funding Notes:

This studentship covers UK fees for 4 years and a tax-free stipend to match the UKRI’s minimum rate for 2025/26 for 3.5 years. 

Entry requirements: 

Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply. The interdisciplinary nature of this research project means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any relevant subject that provides the necessary skills, knowledge and experience for the project. You will need to submit a 1-page proposal outlining how you would approach the research project. See our FAQs for further details.

Eligibility: 

To qualify for UK (home) fee status, you normally need to have UK nationality, and to have been ordinarily resident here for some years to be classified as a home student. Time spent in the UK for educational purposes is not counted as ordinary residence.

Students living in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are usually charged the same fee as UK students. EU citizens with settled or pre-settled UK status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, are eligible for a UK rate if the usual residency requirements are met.