Royal Society of Edinburgh funding to drive innovative research at QMU
Two academics from Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh have been recognised with research awards from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), securing funding to support innovative projects with real-world impact.
The awards form part of the RSE’s latest Research Awards Programme, which saw over £856,000 distributed to support 91 exceptional research projects across Scotland.
The funding will enable cutting-edge work across a diverse range of disciplines, supporting innovative projects that address key social, environmental and technological challenges.
Dr Alexia Barrable, Senior Lecturer in the Psychology, Sociology and Education Division at QMU has secured a Research Collaboration Grant alongside Dr Marja Roslund of the Natural Resources Institute in Finland. Their project focuses on ‘dirty play’ for children - unstructured, tactile interaction with soil, mud, plants and the microbial life they contain. QMU is leading research in this area, demonstrating how such play can be both safe and profoundly beneficial for children’s physical health, cognitive development and emotional wellbeing.
By designing outdoor spaces and microbial playscapes that encourage interaction with nature, and by modelling positive attitudes toward soil and natural materials, the project aims to help children and parents see dirt as an opportunity for learning and growth rather than a threat. A new ‘Dirty Play Lab’ at QMU will support research into skin microbiome changes, pedagogical approaches to creative dirty play, and young children’s connection with nature.
Dirty play sparks curiosity, boosts development and helps children build a real connection with the natural world. By bringing it into schools and communities, we can support learning, wellbeing and a healthier relationship with nature. It’s time to move beyond an overly sanitised mindset and recognise the value of safe, hands-on experiences. The funding from RSE will help us expand this work and transform how children experience and learn from the natural world.
Dr Isidoropaolo Casteltrione, a lecturer in the Media, Communication and Performing Arts Division at QMU has won a RSE award for his research into the branding of sensual bachata, a modern evolution of traditional Dominican dance that emerged in Spain, and how it has been shaped and promoted through global social media platforms. His work also explores how these global influences are adapted within Edinburgh’s Latin dance scene.
By analysing content shared on Instagram by leading international dancers and organisations, alongside interviews with local instructors, event organisers and dancers, the research examines how global branding strategies are reinterpreted at a local level. It also investigates how these practices influence participation, community building, and a sense of belonging within Edinburgh’s growing Latin dance community. The funding from RSE will be used for research training, buying software for research, and for disseminating findings through conference participation.
Sensual bachata is a powerful example of how global culture adapts and takes on new meaning. While social media has helped establish the dance on an international scale, it’s local communities that truly bring it to life. With the RSE's support, I can explore how dancers in Edinburgh engage with and reshape these influences, examining what it means for participation, identity and belonging, and share these insights with both academic and wider dance communities.
The RSE Research Awards Programme, which opens twice yearly in spring and autumn, is designed to nurture promising talent, stimulate high-quality research in Scotland, and strengthen global partnerships.
Commenting on the awards, Professor Anne Anderson OBE FRSE, Vice President for Research at the RSE, said: “The RSE’s Research Awards Programme plays a crucial role in supporting and strengthening Scotland’s vibrant research community. I am confident that the recipients of these prestigious RSE awards will advance knowledge and deliver meaningful benefits for Scottish society. On behalf of the Society, I warmly congratulate these outstanding researchers and their international partners, and I look forward to seeing the impact of their work.”
For further media information contact Emma Reekie, Media and Content Officer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: ereekie@qmu.ac.uk (copy to E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk).
