Sarah Morton

Sarah Morton is a Lecturer in Heritage and Director of Postgraduate Programmes at Bath Spa University's School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities. Joining in 2017, she leverages extensive museum professional experience in conservation, collections management, and exhibition curation to develop university-heritage sector collaborations, particularly through heritage placement modules.

Academic Qualifications:

• DPhil, University of Oxford (2018)
• MSc, Conservation for Archaeology and Museums, University College London (2007)
• MA, Principles of Conservation, University College London (2005)
• BA (Hons), Archaeology, University of Nottingham (2002)

Professional Qualifications:

• Accredited Conservator Restorer (ACR)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Her research examines how heritage is socially and materially constructed, focusing on repatriation legacies of ancestral human remains, the social role of human remains in museums, and geographies of human remains storage. This interdisciplinary work bridges museum studies, anthropology, and geography with strong emphasis on ethical frameworks and stakeholder engagement.

Morton's publication trends reveal consistent exploration of repatriation ethics, material agency of human remains, and museum 'deathscapes' across anthropology, geography, and medical humanities. Her work frequently employs spatial analysis and qualitative methods while maintaining strong sector partnerships, particularly with The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Scientific Awards:

• Museums Universities Partnership Initiative Match Grant for 'Student Placements in Museums: Exploring Models of Good Practice' (2017-18)
• Wellcome Trust Medical Humanities Small Grant for 'Corpses Cadavers and Catalogues: The Mobilities of Dead Bodies and Body Parts, Past and Present' (2015-16)
• Royal Geographical Society Henrietta Hutton Research Grant for 'Legacies of the Repatriation of Human Remains Fieldwork' (2015-16)
• Keble Association Gordon Smith Research Award for 'Legacies of the Repatriation of Human Remains Fieldwork' (2015-16)
• Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Award for 'The Legacies of the Repatriation of Human Remains' with The Royal College of Surgeons of England (2013-17)

Morton actively develops heritage placement modules and sector partnerships for student training, supported by significant grants including the Wellcome Trust Medical Humanities grant and AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award. Her advisory work focuses on professional practice standards within UK heritage organizations.
Grant Categories:

• Placement Development: Museums Universities Partnership Initiative
• Medical Humanities: Wellcome Trust
• Fieldwork Research: RGS Henrietta Hutton, Keble Gordon Smith
• Doctoral Training: AHRC Collaborative Award

Morton collaborates extensively with heritage sector partners including the Institute of Conservation (ICON), Museum Ethnographers Group, and Association of Critical Heritage Studies. She contributes to policy through ICON's Policy Review Group and maintains active partnerships with The Royal College of Surgeons of England, shaping best practices in human remains management and repatriation ethics.