2021 Funded Research Projects

Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) aims to identify the views and opinions of relevant Ladies Gaelic football stakeholders (Ladies Gaelic football players, coaches, referees and administrators at national, provincial, county and club level) in Ireland regarding injury prevention. Their objectives are to: 1. Identify views and opinions of central stakeholders on an LGFA injury prevention strategy, its focus and content; 2. Identify barriers and facilitators to injury prevention programme uptake and implementation in the Ladies Gaelic football community and 3. Explore central stakeholders’ attitudes and opinions on injury prevention education, and the feasibility and relevancy of this education in improving injury prevention programme uptake and long-term maintenance. The LGFA will be partnering with Dublin City University to complete the research project.

Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) aim to explore the prevalence and extent of succession planning for volunteering in sports in Ireland. In addition, the research will provide insights on the experience of volunteers and clubs during the COVID pandemic and the effects of this on volunteer activity, motivation, and intentions to volunteer. The primary research questions are: 1. To what extent do volunteers perceive and clubs engage in structured processes of role transition and succession for volunteers?, 2. Has volunteer motivation, workload, commitment, and intention been affected by the COVID pandemic? And 3. Are there variations in these issues in question 1 and 2 across volunteer characteristics and club characteristics. The FIS will be partnering with University College Cork to complete the research project.

Sport and Physical Activity has enormous power to bring people together and form strong bonds between participants and communities. Parents of young children are likely to experience disruption to both their physical activity and socialization behaviours as a consequence of increase care responsibilities. This can lead to reduced levels of physical activity and low levels of social interaction.  This can potentially lead to a lack of opportunities to socialize and participate in physical activity. Creating Connections through Play seeks to  1: Examine the levels of social connectedness of parents of young children within the Dublin 15. 2: Investigate if involvement in 10 week play programme builds social connectedness within parents of children. 3: Does provision of information on local programmes increase physical activity participation in parents of young children. Fingal LSP will be partnering with Technological University Dublin to complete the research project. 

Triathlon Ireland aims to investigate and evaluate the delivery of virtual events, online tutor training, online education, and race organisation & technical officiating in comparison or in conjunction with in-person training and events. Their research objectives are to: 1. Measure the responses from the consultations to establish if Triathlon Ireland should incorporate virtual and or hybrid models in the areas of events, racing, coaching, education, and AGMs, and 2. Examine the perceptions and experiences of event organisers, coaches, race organisers, technical officials, club delegate’s and members on previous run online programmes. Triathlon Ireland will be partnering with Waterford Institute of Technology to complete the research project. Triathlon Ireland aims to investigate and evaluate the delivery of virtual events, online tutor training, online education, and race organisation & technical officiating in comparison or in conjunction with in-person training and events. Their research objectives are to: 1. Measure the responses from the consultations to establish if Triathlon Ireland should incorporate virtual and or hybrid models in the areas of events, racing, coaching, education, and AGMs, and 2. Examine the perceptions and experiences of event organisers, coaches, race organisers, technical officials, club delegate’s and members on previous run online programmes. Triathlon Ireland will be partnering with Waterford Institute of Technology to complete the research project.

Fencing Ireland aim to capture biomechanical data from training situations using a Sparwatch and to convert this to meaningful, insightful performance indicators which the coach and fencer can use to direct training efforts. Their project research questions focus on: 1. Whether a wearable device can capture insightful data which results in enhanced training sessions, and 2. If motivational and performance data can increase participation and enjoyment of training sessions, with the objective of making fencing more engaging for participants. Fencing Ireland will be partnering with University of Limerick and Reprise Limited to complete the research project.

Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) aims to evaluate a Social Return on Investment (SROI) tool to quantify the social, economic and health impact of rugby within our communities. Their objectives are to: 1. Validate the tailoring of the UEFA SROI model to reflect Rugby, 2. Quantify the rugby SROI from a Club, Regional, Provincial and National level (taking an All-Ireland Perspective), 3. Trial the use of monthly/quarterly Social Impact measures to inform operations and strategic planning, 4. Compare evaluations with equivalent football nations (i.e. FAI and other European Football Nations), and 5. Compare similar evaluations of SROI undertaken by other national sporting bodies (i.e. AFL, NRL, RFL & RA) and by Waterford IT (ongoing SROI analysis of the “Football Cooperative” project). The IRFU will be completing this research internally in collaboration with UEFA. 

Dublin City Sport & Wellbeing Partnership (DCSWP) aim to identify how sedentary adults in Dublin city, who use other services of Dublin City Council, believe they could be supported by DCSWP to become more physically active. Their objectives are to: 1. Evaluate the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles in users of Dublin City Council services. This will allow DCSWP to identify and target sedentary groups for participation in physical activity programmes, 2. To determine considerations for engaging sedentary adults in Dublin city. This will inform the content of future programmes in Dublin City, and 3. Create evidence-based operations plans to target resources at sedentary adults in a large city. This will provide information of the new strategy of DCSWP. DCSWP will be partnering with University College Dublin to complete the research project

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (project lead) in conjunction with the LGFA and Camogie Association aim to provide empirical evidence on the current participation and experience of Gaelic Games amongst teenage participants. Such evidence will inform player and coach development, and retention policy, implementation, and management at National, Provincial, County and Club levels. Their objectives are to: 1. Develop a sustainable surveillance plan for teenagers in Gaelic Games, 2. Establish a baseline understanding of the nature of teenage participation rates in Gaelic Games in clubs, schools, and counties, 3. Identify the key factors (barriers and facilitators) which influence a young players participation in Gaelic Games, 4. Identify young players experiences of their respective coaching environments, and 5. Identify the impact of COVID-19 on young players participation and experience of Gaelic Games. The GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association will be partnering with University of Ulster, Technological University of the Shannon, University College Cork, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Trinity College Dublin to complete the research project.

Student Sport Ireland (SSI) aim to undertake an evaluation of the Women’s Student Coach Academy (WSCA) programme to inform future iterations of the programme and its sustainability. Their research objectives are to: 1. Does the programme provide opportunities for HEI female students to engage in coaching career development in their chosen sport?, 2. Is the programme developed and overseen through strong multi agency partnership and delivered through active collaboration between SSI, NGBs, HEIs and female student coaches?, 3. Does the programme provide pathways for female coaches for sustained participation in coaching beyond the programme’s duration?, 4. Are there any barriers to the achievement of the WSCA’s objectives?, 5. Should the WSCA programme be continued and if so should adjustments be made around the programme content, its delivery, or its oversight?, 6. Who are the female students who took part and what is their background on sport and education?, 7. What were the expectations of those involved of the WSCA programme, were these met, and if so, to what level?, and 8. What were the experiences of the various stakeholders involved in the programme?. SSI will be partnering with 23 All-Island third level institutions and 10 NGBs to complete the research project. Funding is ring fenced for a Post Doctorate researcher, however the institution within which that researcher will be based has not yet been identified.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) aim to investigate the current understandings and perceptions of injuries and injury prevention amongst grassroots football coaches in Ireland. Their research objectives are to: 1. Analyse the understandings and perceptions of grassroots football coaches towards injuries and injury prevention, and 2. seek direct input from grassroots football coaches regarding current needs and the perceived facilitators and barriers to the implementation of injury prevention initiatives. The FAI will be partnering with University College Dublin to complete the research project.

Age & Opportunity aims to carry out a qualitative and quantitative pilot study in five counties on the barriers and motivators of using public space for physical activity in Ireland using public patient involvement (PPI) as a core principle and Age & Opportunity’s network of Physical Activity (peer) Leaders (PALs) as citizen researchers. Their research objectives are to: 1. Carry out an older person led research study on current use of outdoor space for physical activity, 2. Identify the main barriers to using public space for physical activity, 3. Identify the main factors in an enabling outdoor physical environment, 4.  Identify best practice in other countries and explore how this could be replicated in Ireland, 5. Inform development of opportunities for older persons to engage in outdoor physical activity, 6. Inform the delivery of the proposed National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, and 7. To inform development of outdoor PALs workshops as part of Active Programme. Age & Opportunity will be partnering with Straightforward Research to complete the research project.

Waterford LSP aims to explore experiences of the menopausal transition of women living in Ireland with reference to symptoms, health, and wellbeing, and how they impact motivators, facilitators, and barriers to physical activity engagement. Their research objectives are: 1. To recruit Irish women experiencing menopause, until data saturation has been reached (estimated to be between 8-12 participants), 2. To adapt and utilise a semi-structured interview for data collection, 3. To determine the participants demographics and self-reported stage of menopause and eligibility, 4. To explore the lived experience of women during the menopausal transition, in Ireland, with reference to symptoms, health and wellbeing and how they impact motivators, facilitators, and barriers to physical activity engagement, and 5. Identify any behaviours or strategies associated with a positive/negative engagement with physical activity during the menopausal transition. Waterford LSP will be partnering with Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest to complete the research project.

Hockey Ireland aim to use a wearable sensor to analyse the upper body and trunk rotational kinematics of Hockey Ireland players and how that relates to the ball velocity generated when drag-flicking. Additionally the aim is to determine the extent to which this skill might be improved through strength and conditioning exercises. Their research objectives are to: 1. Determine whether a correlation exists between the velocity/acceleration of the drag-flickers arm, stick and ball velocity upon release, 2. Determine whether a correlation exists between the velocity/acceleration generated when drag-flicking and the velocity/acceleration generated while completing specific rotational strength & conditioning exercises, 3. Identify male and female players, from the Junior Age Grade playing groups, who can generate high levels of velocity/acceleration as described in objective 2, 4. Compare the velocity/acceleration profiles of Junior Age Grade drag-flickers between sexes and age groups and against established Senior Hockey Ireland drag-flickers, and 5. Determine to what extent a specific training intervention can improve the drag flick. Hockey Ireland will be partnering with University College Dublin to complete the research project.

Rowing Ireland aims to define club culture in the context of Irish rowing clubs, understand its impact on club members with respect to gender equality and develop a toolkit for clubs to assess and positively influence their culture towards greater gender equality and positive lifelong participation with the sport. Their research objectives are to: 1. To define the term ‘club culture’, for the purpose of the research, 2. To understand what aspects of a club, define its culture, 3. To understand how club culture influences gender inclusivity and equality in rowing clubs in Ireland, 4. To understand how club culture can be influenced to create a positive inclusive environment for all members, 5. Develop an evidence informed toolkit for clubs to positively influence culture for greater gender equality and better member experience, 6.  To positively influence longer term outcomes for gender equality in rowing, subsequently impacting lifelong participation in sport, 7. Communicate and disseminate the findings and recommendations nationally and internationally, and promote Ireland's role in developing best practice in this area, and 8. Provide a template and toolkit that could be used or replicated by other NGBs. Rowing Ireland will be partnering with Leading Sport to complete the research project.

Limerick LSP aim to produce a ‘Community Sports Development Impact Assessment Toolkit’ and literature resources that will support sports development officers/managers to embed social impact assessment tools into the development of community sports programmes. Their research objectives are to: 1. Compile a robust literature review on impact assessment models for sports and physical activity programmes, 2. Provide national and international case studies of best practice, 3. Produce a toolkit and facilitator manual for sports development officers, thereby enabling the measurement of impact associated with evidence-based interventions, and 4. Liaise with local community groups in the integration of project outputs into the development of new sports and physical activity programmes. Limerick LSP will be partnering with Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands and Midwest to complete the research project.

Carlow Sports Partnership aim to investigate the effects of different delivery methods of resistance training programmes on the physical functioning and psychological wellbeing of older adults. Their research objectives are to: 1. To examine whether type of exercise delivery method (face-to-face, video-call or semi-supervised) is associated with variations in physical functioning and psychological well-being, 2. To qualitatively assess the older persons experience and enjoyment of the exercise programme through semi-structured interviews, and 3. To explore differences between type of exercise delivery method and the participants long-term adherence to resistance training following cessation of the programme. Carlow Sports Partnership will be partnering with Institute of Technology Carlow to complete the research project.

Kilkenny LSP aims to explore the experiences of the Ossory Youth LGBTQ+ group in sport and physical activity in Kilkenny and to identify what Kilkenny LSP can do to improve this experience. Their research objectives are to: 1. Examine LGBTQ+ experiences of participation in sport and physical activity (sports club membership, personal exercise, volunteering), 2. Awareness levels of what is on offer for sports and physical activity in Kilkenny, 3. Awareness in LGBTQ+ group of Kilkenny LSP and programmes offered by Kilkenny LSP, and 4. investigate ways that Kilkenny LSP can improve the experience of young LGBTI+ group members in sports and physical activity in Kilkenny. Kilkenny LSP will be partnering with Institute of Technology Carlow and Ossory Youth to complete the research project.