PhD Studentship: Innovating ParaSport: The Role of the Athlete-Equipment-Playing Environment Interface

Technological advancements have transformed the landscape of Para sports, offering new possibilities to enhance performance through wheelchair and prosthesis design. This PhD project will investigate how to optimize the "athlete-equipment-playing environment" interface, integrating state-of-the-art profiling technologies.

The research will adopt an individualised sport approach, targeting up to three Para sports (e.g., wheelchair tennis and rugby), and examining athlete anthropometrics, interfaces that impact performance and considering sports classification. By focusing on the integration of the athlete with their equipment and minimising environmental influences on performance, this work seeks to advance both physical and functional capacities. A multidisciplinary methodology, combining sport science, engineering, and biomechanics, will underpin the project to meet the unique demands of each athlete.

This PhD provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to innovations in wheelchair sports and create meaningful impacts in ParaSport science and athlete performance.

Key to this will be;

• Exploring the athlete-equipment-playing environment interface to fine-tune equipment design, materials, and interactions/contacts.
• Monitoring and analysing contact pressure, surface contact distribution, and friction and movement patterns for personalised adjustments to equipment (and training).

Based in both the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical & Manufacturing Engineering and the School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, this studentship will appeal to students with a sports science/engineering/technology, mechanical engineering, or product design engineering background.

It is intended that this is a largely experimental and design-based project, although some modelling work is also likely. There is also scope to use advanced surface measurement and analysis techniques to characterise the interactions/contacts. The direction of the PhD is flexible and can be partially moulded to suit the strengths and interests of the successful candidate.

It is part of the ‘ParaFit 2032’ cluster of PhD studentships, hosted by the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, bring together multidisciplinary project teams and cross-cutting PhD projects. These will advance para-athlete health and performance, focusing on the interactions between performance, well-being, gender, and equipment ergonomics. This research is crucial as it will deliver impact for Brisbane 2032 and help shape the future of Para sport science, engineering and practice. Learn more here (https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/clusters/parafit/).

Entry requirements:

Applicants must have, or expect to have, at least a 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent) with a UK master's degree (with average programme mark of no less than 65%) or international equivalent.

Funding information:

The studentship is for 3 years and provides a minimum tax-free stipend of £20,780 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.

How to Apply:

Apply online via the above ‘Apply’ button. Under programme name, select ‘Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering’ and quote the advert reference number ‘PARAFIT-TS-25’ under the ‘Finance’ section of your application.

All applications must include the minimum supporting documents listed on our ‘How to Apply’ webpage, including a curriculum vitae (CV), research proposal, and a reference to the project ‘PARAFIT-TS-25’. Incomplete applications received after the advert closing date may not be considered for interview.

The selection criteria will be used by academic schools to help them make a decision on your application.

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