ACT Sports Research Awards

Drawing together representatives from key stakeholders in sports research in the ACT, this Award has been established to encourage, recognise, support and acknowledge quality research within ACT.
The members of the ACT Sports Research Award Committee represent diverse backgrounds, drawn from different research institutes within the ACT and have experience in research and evidence-based practice.

ACT Sports Research Committee:

  • Peter Garbutt – Sports Chiropractor, SMA-ACT President, Chair of Research Committee
  • Gordon Waddington – University of Canberra
  • Kerien Fallon – Australian Institute of Sport
  • Dr Jason Mazanov – Senior lecturer ADFA
  • Dick Telford – Australian National University
  • James Dunstan – Canberra Institute of Technology

Eligibility for Awards:

To be eligible for these awards the primarily author of the paper must be a resident of ACT or is aligned to an ACT research institute which offers a program of study with a physical address in the ACT. Researchers who wish to clarify whether they are eligible can apply in writing with their details to the chair of the ACT Sports Research Committee via email trish.donoghue@sma.org.au.

2012 CALL FOR PAPERS NOW OPEN – Further information along with the guidelines and criteria can be downloaded here.

All winning researchers will be required to present their paper at the ACT Research Awards evening to be held on Wednesday 28th November 2012.

ACT Sports Research Award categories

1. Best New Investigator Award

This award is aimed at providing recognition to young investigators who have demonstrated outstanding research in any area of current interest in their field of study. It will provide a young researcher with a registration package which includes accommodation and travel assistance to the Australian Conference of Science & Medicine in Sport (ACSMS) held in October each year. They will be invited to submit their abstract for presentation at this conference through the normal abstract submission process.

Authors wishing to be considered for a New Investigator Award must be under 40 years of age and no more than 2 years post-doctoral at the time of the Awards.

2. Open Award

This annual award provides recognition for outstanding research, by a senior or established researcher. The winner of this award will receive registration package which includes accommodation and travel to present at the ACT Sports Medicine Conference of Science and Medicine in sport held in February each year.

2011 Awards Dinner was held on 30th November 2011. Guest Speaker for the evening – Allan Hahn , AIS “The process and direction of research. Where we are and where are we going.” The evening was enjoyed by a diverse range of people from different backgrounds and was well attended.
2011 ACT Sports Research Award Recipient announced:

  • Best New Investigator (Sponsored by University of Canberra)
    Jeremy Witchalls, Faculty of Health University of Canberra & Physical Therapies AIS
    Performance characteristics which predict risk of injury in ankles: A systematic review with meta-analysis.
  • Open Category (Sponsored by The Vikings Group)
    Vanessa McDermott, School of Sociology Australian National University
    Conceptualising Legitimacy, Moral Panics and PEDs: Crisis? Whose Crisis?