School of Humanities and Social Sciences historian, Deborah Madden, has been awarded Santander Scholarships Research for the Global Challenges Undergraduate Research Scheme (URS).
The Undergraduate Research Scheme (URS) provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to contribute to hands-on research on real projects alongside academic researchers at the university.
The award means that Deborah, course leader for BA(Hons) Globalisation: History, Politics, Culture will facilitate a student in the School to participate in archival historical research, as well as working with a community organisation to make creative use of source findings in different ‘real world’ settings. The project itself focuses on suffragist and pioneering scientist, Kate Harvey (1862-1946).
The student will research and collate primary historical and secondary critical source material about Harvey. Kate Harvey was deaf and although she is remembered amongst the deaf community, her contribution is often overlooked within the field of health sciences. This tells us a lot about ongoing gender politics in histories of science and the project addresses continued issues around equality, health, gender and disability.
Deborah Madden commented that the award is ‘recognition of the importance of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research that’s much needed to address key areas of continued intersectional inequality’.
Apart from the core academic skills and competencies required for this project, the student will accrue valuable experience in analysing and interpreting historical sources, but for this to be translated and applied in ways that can speak to present issues and concerns. They will receive training on how to create learning resources for local community groups and schools. The project contains a placement element with Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage CIC, which will ensure the development of research methods and employability skills – skills suited to the humanities, medical humanities, health and social sciences.
Published by