Swansea University UK
Swansea University is a research-led institution, which thrives on exploration and discovery. Within Swansea University, the Applied Sport, Techology, Exercise, and Medicine Research Centre (A-STEM) is responsible for conducting cutting-edge research on critical topics pertaining to sport, exercise, and health. A-STEM were recently ranked 5th based on research impact (i.e., the extent to which the research conducted has international impact in the field of sport and exercise) in the UK 2014 Research Evaluation Framework. The philosophy underpinning A-STEM is to conduct the highest quality applied research to further academic understanding of sport and exercise and produce accessible and useful findings for organisations and research users.
As such, impact of research and the dissemination of knowledge underpins all the work conducted within our department, providing not only a wealth of experience in this area but also strategic approaches to fully exploit the long-term outcomes of the project. Moreover, academics have worked with, and for, numerous sports organisations, local, national, and international policy makers, as well as individual athletes, coaches, and practitioners. Based on these interactions have a clear understanding of how to tailor information to the needs of different parties.
Of greatest importance to the proposed project, academics within A-STEM have particular research interests aligned with protecting the physical and psychological health of young athletes and have conducted much work on this topic. For instance, we have produced research pertaining to optimising parental involvement in sport, understanding children’s experiences of sport, hydration and nutritional status of elite and young athletes, and examining the experiences and issues encountered by athletes with eating disorders.
The combined research expertise of the academics at Swansea Univeristy, in addition to the existing partnership with the CPSU, ensure that Swansea is well positioned to coordinate, facilitate, and involve in the PRICE project. Moreover, utilising the previous experiences of working with national and international organisations and disseminating knowledge to various parties, Swansea University are appropriately placed for a pan-European project.