Queen’s researcher Allison Morehead (Art History) is among a group of international researchers who will be receiving support from the Matariki Seed Fund. Facilitated by the Matariki Network of Universities (MNU), the Seed Fund program provides researchers with £25,000 to support the development of stronger relationships between partners through collaborative research projects. Successful projects were selected based on alignment to MNU’s five guiding principles: commitment to transnational dialogue, academic freedom and autonomy, freedom of expression, respect for diversity, critical friendship, and purposeful collaboration for improving lives. Additionally, this year’s call asked that projects tackle the priority areas of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Queen’s is one of the seven founding members of MNU, which is focused on developing international excellence in research and education and promoting social responsibility locally and globally. The other partner institutions are Dartmouth College (US), Durham University (UK), University of Otago (New Zealand), Uppsala University (Sweden), University of Tübingen (Germany), and University of Western Australia.

Dr. Morehead’s research project, "Curating Cultural Heritage for the Medical and Health Humanities" brings together researchers from Queen’s, Durham University, Uppsala University, and Kingston’s Museum of Health Care. The team will explore how medical cultural heritage, which raises challenging questions about hegemonic ideas of health, illness, and disability, can be sensitively curated to support medical and health humanities research, education, and public engagement towards the goal of increased health equity. They aim to build an international network and community of curatorial and medical humanities practice. Each of the partner universities will also host a workshop on different project themes that align with several of the SDGs.

Queen’s researchers will also be working to advance two other successful projects funded at partner universities focused on the ethical use of Gen-AI in higher education and SWAN (Simulations for Wallaby and the Nearby Universe).

Learn more about the Matariki Seed Fund recipients at the MNU website.

Queen's Art of Research photo contest submission: "Medical History: Lost and Found" by Dr. Allison Morehead, Faculty (Art History), Oslo, Norway.