FELLOWSHIP

Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF)

The Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF) provides emerging scholars with the opportunity to explore the history of health and health care through the Museum’s rich collections and archives. Established in memory of local historian Dr. Margaret Angus, the fellowship supports original research that connects the past to present-day issues in medicine, public health, and community care.

Each year, the fellowship offers a student or early-career researcher the chance to work closely with museum staff and advisors, develop professional skills, and share their findings through public talks, publications, and digital projects.

The Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF) supports original research that draws on the Museum of Health Care’s collections and resources to advance understanding of health and medicine in Canada.

Named in honour of historian Margaret Angus, this annual fellowship offers a student, researcher, or recent graduate the opportunity to undertake an in-depth research project over a 10-week period during the summer.

The fellowship is open to undergraduate or graduate students in history, health sciences, museum studies, or a related field. The selected Fellow works closely with Museum staff to develop a project that results in a public presentation, written report, and/or interpretive content for exhibitions, programs, or digital platforms.

If you’d like to make a donation to our fellowship in honour of Dr. Angus, please click here.

About the Fellowship

Image of Dr. Margaret Angus

Application Process

Applications for the Margaret Angus Research Fellowship typically open each winter. Interested candidates are asked to submit:

  • A cover letter outlining their research interests and motivation for applying

  • A resume or CV

  • A short writing sample

  • Contact information for one academic or professional reference

Applications for the 2025 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship is now closed.

Details and deadlines are posted on the Museum’s Opportunities page. Candidates from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply.

2025 Research Fellow

The 2025 fellowship has been awarded to Shaelagh Cull, an independent researcher specializing in the history of craft. Her project will engage deeply with the Museum’s collection and archival materials as part of the standard four-month research period (typically May to September). Her work will enrich the Museum’s collection of research, and updates on her progress will be shared through the Museum’s blog and outreach channels.


Over the summer, Shaelagh will conduct original research focused on occupational therapy. Her research will result in:

  • A scholarly manuscript added to the Museum’s research collection

  • A public presentation in the fall, offering insights drawn from her study

Her work will enrich the Museum’s collection of research, and updates on her progress will be shared through the Museum’s blog and outreach channels.

Recent Fellows and Manuscripts

Since its inception, the Margaret Angus Research Fellowship has generated a rich array of scholarly manuscripts reflecting the history of health and health care as interpreted through the Museum's collections. These works are accessible as research resources and have been presented publicly—often in the fall—through lectures, blog posts, and sometimes video presentations. Below are recent fellowship projects showcasing the diversity of themes and research methods:

  • 2024 – Sex Education: Hormones, HRT and Intersex Bodies in the Queen’s University Medical Curriculum, 1923–1968 by Matthew Edwards. Manuscript, presentation, and blog series are available.

  • 2023 – Monstrous Instruments: The Vaginal Speculum and the Contagious Diseases Acts Repeal Movement by Jessica Sealey. Includes manuscript, presentation video, and blog series.

  • 2022 – "Survival Equipment": The Material Culture of Cystic Fibrosis by Anna Krentz. Manuscript, presentation, and blog series can be accessed.

  • 2021 – The Lived Experience of COVID‑19 in Canada by Savannah Sewell. Full manuscript, presentation, and blog content available.

  • 2020 – Histories of Personal Protective Equipment and Strategies in the Fight against Infectious Diseases by Jessica Lanziner. Manuscript (with presentation via YouTube) and blog series available.

Additionally, highlights from earlier years:

  • 2019 – The Perpetual Caregiver: Charles Kirk Clarke and the Treatment of Women at Rockwood Asylum, 1885–1905 by Victoria Bowen. Includes manuscript, lecture video, and blog entries.

  • 2018 – Health in the Victorian Home: Health Care and Wellness in Home Advice Literature by Isabel Luce. Manuscript available.

  • 2017 – The Spanish Influenza: Exploring Kingston's Deadly Epidemic of 1918 by Andrew Belyea. Manuscript, lecture video, and blog series available.

The Margaret Angus Research Fellowship is generously sponsored by Ian M. Fraser and Janine Schweitzer.