“Over 11 million Australians participate in sport each year.”

Deakin Business School together with the Faculty of Health has launched the Centre for Sport Research (CSR).

Devised as a Strategic Research Centre (SRC), CSR amalgamates high-profile exercise, sport science and sport management research already in existence at Deakin, as well as opportunities that have arisen as a result of the work of its members over the past few years.

Co-director Professor David Shilbury, who is also Associate Dean (International) at Deakin Business School, explains that the centre’s broad goals are to publish quality research that will inform policy, positively influence decision makers and assist the industries that develop new sport technologies.

‘Our approach is multidisciplinary and well-suited to solving real-world problems, and our research aligns with several national health priority areas, with a particular emphasis on sport’s ability to enhance the health and wellbeing of participants and their communities,’ he says.

‘Healthy sport, healthy organisations, healthy community, best describes both the centre’s focus and intended outcome.’

Over 11 million Australians participate in sport each year and the sport sector represents two per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product. The centre’s research thus also focuses on delivering on the Federal Government’s commitment to even further develop Australia's sport performance pathways.

This involves the promotion of participation from grass-roots to elite levels and supports the mandatory governance principles designed to increase the strategic focus and efficiencies of sport organisations.

The centre’s research programs specifically focus on the themes of performance and measurement, health, participation, and sport management and marketing.

These themes aim to impact the entire spectrum of sport and exercise participation, including high performance sport, community sport, exercise as medicine, target populations and the governance, management and marketing of sport and sport organisations to support participation outcomes.

To maximise positive outcomes, Prof. Shilbury says the centre’s aim is to work closely with collaborators from the sport industry, in order to meet their needs and regularly invite them to provide their opinions.

‘We have developed trusting and fruitful research relationships that are vital to efficient and sustained research success.

‘The structure and development of CSR is intimately aligned with Deakin University’s strategic direction as our research within the sport and exercise science, sport development and management domains is focused on directly “making a difference to the communities we serve”.’