Sport and Exercise Research Centre

An interdisciplinary centre focussed on developing and disseminating research in sport and exercise

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About us

This interdisciplinary research centre is a dynamic hub of academics and researchers working together to identify and address pertinent issues in sport and exercise at a local, national, and international level.

Members collaborate with public and private stakeholders, industry groups, policy makers and funding agencies when undertaking research and disseminating findings, to maximise evidence-based impact from our sport and exercise research.

SERC aims to:

To increase the number of high-quality research outputs by members of the research centre
To engage with a variety of academic, professional and general audiences when disseminating research
To increase the number of postgraduate/research students within the ambit of the research centre
To engage with a variety of stakeholders to maximise evidence-based changes to policy and practice
To increase the number of applications for external income by members of the research centre
To bring together researchers from across the Faculty, University and beyond in undertaking research of international significance.

For full details of our research, knowledge exchange and impact, see the research strands below.

Postgraduate research

The centre offers MPhil/PhD programmes to qualified individuals with an interest in the research areas above, which can be self-funded or supported via fully and match-funded scholarships. Students can study part-time or full-time and are supported by expert academic staff. Everything you need to know to study for a research degree at Winchester

For current postgraduate research in SERC, including current PhD opportunities, explore the research strands below.

Contact SERC

For any enquiries about SERC, please contact the Convenor, Dr John Batten.

SERC research strands

Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing

We undertake research that aims to identify and solve pertinent health challenges by improving our understanding and knowledge of the relationships between physical activity and health across the lifespan.

Current research

Examining associations between physical activity, mental health, and wellbeing during COVID-19
The effect of early exercise engagement on quality-of-life post-stroke
The effect of interrupting sitting time on vascular and cognitive health in various clinical populations

Strand leader: Professor James Faulkner

For further information and to meet the team, visit the Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing strand webpage.

Sport Performance

Through an interdisciplinary research approach, we aim to examine and provide interventions to enhance the sporting performance of athletes and teams.

Using a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, ongoing research avenues include:

Psychological climate of team sport practice
Representative learning designs within sport coaching environments
Developmental experiences of elite youth athletes

Strand leader: Dr Steve Smith

For further information and to meet the team, visit the Sport Performance research strand webpage.

Brain Injury in Sport

We undertake interdisciplinary research that examines the short- and long-term outcomes of brain injury for individuals, athletes, military veterans, families, caregivers, and more.

Using a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, ongoing research avenues include:

caregiver experiences of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) from sport participation
concussion knowledge and attitudes and athlete reporting intentions
efficacy of concussion education programmes
media narratives around sport-related concussion

Strand leader: Dr Matt Smith

For further information and to meet the team, visit the Brain Injury in Sport research strand webpage.

Inclusivity in Sport

We examine national and international relationships between students, athletes and various levels of organised, competitive sports and physical education.

Using a range of qualitative and quantitative measures, ongoing research activities include:

• The experiences of North American LGBT athletes in high school and collegiate sports
• The experiences of British athletes in school-based and recreational based sports
• Examination of social media campaigns related to LGBT athletes in professional sport
• Evaluating school-based physical activity initiatives, physical education, and teacher training

Strand leader: Professor Eric Anderson

For further information and to meet the team, visit the Inclusivity in Sport research strand webpage.