Discipline: Exercise and Sport Science & High Performance Sport

This project examines how physiological and cognitive fatigue interact under operationally relevant stressors, including environmental extremes, carrying load, and behavioural demands; and how these combined effects influence task performance. Particular emphasis will be placed on cognitive fatigue and situation awareness, both of which underpin safe and effective task execution under fatigue. By applying innovative assessment methods to capture cognitive performance in context, the project seeks to better contextualise fatigue and task performance. The outcomes will inform strategies to mitigate fatigue-related errors, improve task readiness, and support the long-term health and wellbeing of tactical personnel.

Optional Research Internship Experience - ACU Veterans and Families Research Network

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with the ACU National Centre for Veterans & Families. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and industry research engagement. Activities may include assisting in qualitative and quantitative data analysis on connected centre projects, supporting survey development and participant recruitment, or contributing to knowledge translation materials tailored for policymakers and community partners. Students may also help plan research network events, contribute to collaborative projects with defence and veteran organisations, or shadow researchers in project management activities.

Supervisors: Dr Patrick Campbell (established supervisor from SPRINT); Dr Daniel Chalkley (emerging supervisor from SPRINT) and Mr Michael Rigney (emerging supervisor)

QRL Project Descriptions: Honours EOI Format

This project will investigate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision-based POSE analysis to estimate ground reaction forces (GRFs) during running. The study will be conducted at the Blacktown Exercise and Sport Technology (BEST) Hub biomechanics laboratory, which is equipped with in-ground force plates to provide gold-standard GRF measurements. Participants will complete running trials over the force plates while being simultaneously recorded on video. POSE analysis will be applied to the video data to extract kinematic information. This POSE data will then be used to train an AI model to estimate GRFs, with the in-ground force plate data serving as the ground truth for model development and validation. The project will focus on:

• Developing and training an algorithm to predict GRFs from POSE-derived kinematic data.
• Evaluating the accuracy of the algorithm against measured GRFs.
• Calculating braking and propulsive forces during running.

Previous research has demonstrated that similar systems can accurately quantify contact time and flight time. This project represents a logical progression toward estimating more complex kinetic variables using accessible video-based methods.

Description of the research internship opportunity

The successful student will gain experience in:

• Biomechanical data collection using force plates and high-speed video.
• POSE estimation techniques and computer vision methods.
• AI model development, training, and validation.
• Data analysis and interpretation in applied sports biomechanics.

If successful, this approach could provide a cost-effective and portable method for estimating GRFs in field settings, expanding the accessibility of advanced biomechanical analysis for coaches, athletes, and practitioners.

Supervisors: Associate Professor Grant Duthie (established supervisor); Dr Mark Moresi (emerging supervisor) and Mr Louis Dennison (third supervisor)

Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture is a highly common knee injury occurring in high performance team sport athletes. The purpose of this research project is to quantify the accuracy of a new triple hop test that assesses the single leg function of athletes using two dimensional markerless motion capture. Team sport athletes will undertake triple hop test and will be concurrently monitored using two dimensional markerless motion capture and a criterion three dimensional marker based motion capture system (VICON). Joint kinematics (hip and knee angular velocity) will be assessed for accuracy.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Assoc. Prof. Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au), Dr. Mark Moresi, Dr, Paul Taylor and Dr. Michael Psarakis

Campus where project is available: Blacktown and Strathfield

The association between repeated head acceleration events (HAE) and long-term brain health is of considerable concern in contact and combat sports. Instrumented mouthguards (iMG) now allow for the accurate quantification of HAEs, however little is known about HAEs in combat sports like boxing. To address this, this project will use iMG to quantify the volume and magnitude of HAE during boxing sparring in the lead-up to competitive fights in men and women elite amateur fighters. Specifically, the project aims are to: Determine the feasibility of iMG for capturing HAE during boxing training; Understand the volume and magnitude of HAE during training;

Determine whether HAE change in the lead-up to a fight; Produce a high quality publication addressing these aims. The proposed honours project will provide you with the opportunity to apply principles of sports science and strength and conditioning in a real-world setting working with athletes and coaches in the lead-up to a sanctioned fight.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Assoc. Prof. Richard Johnston (richard.johnston@acu.edu.au); Assoc. Prof. Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au); Shreya McLeod (MHSc / MACP) (shreya.mcleod@acu.edu.au); Dr Patrick Campbell (patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Blacktown/Strathfield

This project leverages advancements in Artificial Intelligence to analyse POSE data from camera footage in elite-level football. While traditional tracking data has provided valuable insights into players’ gross movements and acceleration patterns, emerging research highlights the critical role of deceleration in performance and injury risk. By applying POSE analysis, this project aims to capture detailed kinematic data of individual deceleration events. The objective is to enhance our understanding of how athletes decelerate during competition, identifying key movement characteristics and biomechanical factors. These insights will inform performance optimisation, injury prevention strategies, and athlete monitoring in high-performance football environments.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie – grant.duthie@acu.edu.au

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

OptoJump systems are widely used to measure spatiotemporal parameters in sprinting, such as contact time, flight time, and step length. Despite their popularity due to portability and ease of use, the validity of OptoJump compared to gold-standard force plates has not been thoroughly established for these specific metrics. Additionally, the influence of various settings and filters within the OptoJump system on measurement outcomes remains unexplored in current research. This project aims to investigate the validity and reliability of OptoJump by comparing its measurements of contact time, flight time, and step length against those obtained from force plates during sprinting. By examining how different settings and filters affect the results, this study will provide critical insights into the reliability and accuracy of OptoJump systems. The outcomes will help determine the suitability of using OptoJump for precise spatiotemporal assessments in sprint performance analysis.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Michael Psarakis

Campus where project is available: Blacktown

This project aims to investigate the relationship between key leg strength qualities and deceleration ability in elite team sport athletes. While leg strength, reactive strength, and rate of force development are well-established contributors to acceleration and high-speed running, their role in deceleration is less understood. This study will assess athletes’ strength qualities through isolated performance tests and examine their deceleration ability using markerless motion capture technology. By linking these physical qualities to deceleration performance, the project seeks to identify whether specific strength characteristics contribute to more effective or efficient deceleration, informing both strength and conditioning practices and technical coaching strategies.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie - grant.duthie@acu.edu.au

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

The triple hop test is widely used to assess single-leg athletic performance and plays a crucial role in rehabilitation programs to monitor return-to-play progress. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled markerless motion capture systems to provide detailed biomechanical feedback, including contact time and flight time, beyond just measuring hop distance. However, these AI-derived metrics require validation against the gold-standard force plate to ensure accuracy and reliability. This project aims to compare markerless motion capture data with force plate measurements, assessing its validity for use in performance testing and rehabilitation settings to enhance athlete monitoring and decision-making.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

This project leverages advancements in Artificial Intelligence to analyse POSE data from camera footage in elite-level football. While traditional tracking data has provided valuable insights into players’ gross movements and acceleration patterns, emerging research highlights the critical role of deceleration in performance and injury risk. By applying POSE analysis, this project aims to capture detailed kinematic data of individual deceleration events. The objective is to enhance our understanding of how athletes decelerate during competition, identifying key movement characteristics and biomechanical factors. These insights will inform performance optimisation, injury prevention strategies, and athlete monitoring in high-performance football environments.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie – grant.duthie@acu.edu.au

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

This project aims to investigate the relationship between key leg strength qualities and deceleration ability in elite team sport athletes. While leg strength, reactive strength, and rate of force development are well-established contributors to acceleration and high-speed running, their role in deceleration is less understood. This study will assess athletes’ strength qualities through isolated performance tests and examine their deceleration ability using markerless motion capture technology. By linking these physical qualities to deceleration performance, the project seeks to identify whether specific strength characteristics contribute to more effective or efficient deceleration, informing both strength and conditioning practices and technical coaching strategies.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie - grant.duthie@acu.edu.au

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

The triple hop test is widely used to assess single-leg athletic performance and plays a crucial role in rehabilitation programs to monitor return-to-play progress. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled markerless motion capture systems to provide detailed biomechanical feedback, including contact time and flight time, beyond just measuring hop distance. However, these AI-derived metrics require validation against the gold-standard force plate to ensure accuracy and reliability. This project aims to compare markerless motion capture data with force plate measurements, assessing its validity for use in performance testing and rehabilitation settings to enhance athlete monitoring and decision-making.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

Project Description:

This project will examine how key physical qualities such as strength, speed, acceleration, and power relate to tackle technique characteristics in women's rugby league. Using data from QRL women's pathways athletes, the study will analyse measures of tackle technique (e.g., body position, contact effectiveness, post-contact outcomes) and link them to players' physical testing profiles. By identifying which physical qualities underpin effective tackle technique, the findings will provide new insights into performance determinants in female collision sports. Outcomes will support QRL coaches in refining training priorities to enhance player safety, tackle effectiveness, and overall match performance.

Optional Research Experience:

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with QRL player & referee-affiliated programs. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and professional research engagement. Activities may include assisting with physical performance testing, collecting and analysing GPS and match data, supporting the coordination of on-field training sessions with QRL-affiliated players and referees, and engaging with project management tasks within the research team. Students may also contribute to translation materials for end-users, developing applied outputs that directly inform QRL practices. Participation is encouraged but not mandatory.

Supervisors: Dr Chris McCosker (established supervisor), Dr Patrick Campbell (emerging SPRINT supervisor), Dr Matthew Jeffries (emerging supervisor)

Project Description:

This project will quantify how movement patterns arise in women's rugby league by analysing GPS and time-motion data from QRL pathway athletes across positions and competition levels. Measures such as high-intensity running, total distance, collisions, and repeated sprint demands will be examined to build a detailed understanding of the game's physical requirements. This research will contribute to the growing body of knowledge on women's sport by providing competition-specific benchmarks. Practically, the outcomes will enable QRL staff to design training and conditioning programs that more accurately reflect the demands of match play, enhancing athlete preparation and performance.

Optional Research Experience:

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with QRL player & referee-affiliated programs. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and professional research engagement. Activities may include assisting with physical performance testing, collecting and analysing GPS and match data, supporting the coordination of on-field training sessions with QRL-affiliated players and referees, and engaging with project management tasks within the research team. Students may also contribute to translation materials for end-users, developing applied outputs that directly inform QRL practices. Participation is encouraged but not mandatory.

Supervisors: Dr Chris McCosker (established supervisor), Dr Patrick Campbell (emerging SPRINT supervisor), Dr Matthew Jeffries (emerging supervisor)

Project Description:

This project will investigate how physical performance characteristics, such as strength, speed, power, and endurance, may be linked to injury risk in women's rugby league. Using performance testing alongside injury records from QRL pathways athletes, the study will examine whether certain qualities or imbalances increase players' exposure to injury. The research will add to the limited evidence base on injury risk factors in women's collision sports. For QRL, the findings will guide screening and targeted injury-prevention programs, supporting medical and coaching staff to proactively address risk factors and better protect athletes' health and availability for competition.

Optional Research Experience:

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with QRL player & referee-affiliated programs. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and professional research engagement. Activities may include assisting with physical performance testing, collecting and analysing GPS and match data, supporting the coordination of on-field training sessions with QRL-affiliated players and referees, and engaging with project management tasks within the research team. Students may also contribute to translation materials for end-users, developing applied outputs that directly inform QRL practices. Participation is encouraged but not mandatory.

Supervisors: Dr Patrick Campbell (established SPRINT supervisor), Dr Chris McCosker (emerging supervisor), Dr Matthew Jeffries (emerging supervisor)

Project Description:

This project will analyse the improvement in physical performance qualities longitudinally as athletes progress across the QRL development pathways. Attributes such as speed, strength, power, and aerobic fitness will be considered alongside training history and competitive experience. By profiling athletes across stages of the pathway, the study will highlight performance trends and identify areas of improvement for training strategies. This research will provide insights into long-term athlete development within women's rugby league. For QRL, the outcomes will support talent identification and athlete progression planning, clarifying which qualities are critical for advancement to higher competition levels.

Optional Research Experience:

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with QRL player & referee-affiliated programs. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and professional research engagement. Activities may include assisting with physical performance testing, collecting and analysing GPS and match data, supporting the coordination of on-field training sessions with QRL-affiliated players and referees, and engaging with project management tasks within the research team. Students may also contribute to translation materials for end-users, developing applied outputs that directly inform QRL practices. Participation is encouraged but not mandatory.

Supervisors: Dr Patrick Campbell (established SPRINT supervisor), Dr Chris McCosker (emerging supervisor), Dr Matthew Jeffries (emerging supervisor)

Having a nuanced understanding of the physical capacities necessary for functional performance of athletes is critical for many people working in high performance sports. Importantly, the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the competition environment means that viewing the physical capacities in isolation could be detrimental to performance outcomes. This honours projects aim to understand how the physical capacities of athletes in high performance sport are currently understood and subsequently trained. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in integrating resistance training and skill acquisition principles to better understand performance and ultimately, enhancing training design.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Patrick Campbell (patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

The sport of shooting has traditionally been viewed as a closed skilled sport with movements thought to be occurring in very stable, predictable environments where athletes can execute pre-planned movements. Recent investigations, however, have revealed the need for athletes to show more adaptable movement behaviours as match constraints ebb and flow. This honours proposal will further understand the constraints impacting performance in competitive shooting environments so coaches can better embrace the variability important for elite level shooting. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in key skill acquisition principles in applied sport settings.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au), Mr Jack Bale (LaTrobe University)

Campus: Brisbane

Autoregulation during resistance training helps account for changes in physical qualities and fatigue across the training mesocycle. Common autoregulatory resistance training methods include repetitions-in-reserve (RIR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and velocity-based training (VBT). These methods have been shown to have greater strength, power, and muscle hypertrophy responses when compared to traditional prescriptive methods (e.g., percentage-based training) and reduce the physical mental stress on an athlete. This Honours project will provide a candidate the opportunity to investigate the effects of these autoregulatory training methods on physical adaptation and would be ideal for a student who enjoys resistance training and strength and conditioning.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Jonathon Weakley (Jonathon.Weakley@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Rugby league refereeing is a complex task whereby decisions are being made on a continuous basis and made more challenging by conflicting expectations between coaches, players, sponsors and ultimately spectators. The heightened expectations for the referee to make the ‘right’ decision consistently can significantly impact the design of training taking away the ‘human’ element in officiating. This honours project will use an ecological dynamics perspective to better understand the nuances of development and elite level refereeing in rugby league in Queensland to help better design training environments more representative of the competition environment. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in officiating in sport.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au), Dr. Scott Russell and Dr. Matt Jeffriess

Campus: Brisbane

Velocity-based training (VBT) can be used to enhance physical adaptations and allow for improved resistance training prescription. Furthermore, it can help autoregulate training loads and mitigate the effects of fatigue from previous training sessions. This Honours project will allow a candidate to investigate how VBT can alter the training response and enhance training quality when athletes are in a fatigued state and need to maximise power outputs. Furthermore, this project will influence real-world practice and help drive better training prescription. This project is ideal for a candidate who enjoys strength training, team sports, and strength and conditioning.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Jonathon Weakley, (Jonathon.Weakley@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

A critical aspect of decision-making and a baseball-player's on the pitch behaviour is their situation awareness (SA), that is, the level of awareness that an individual has of a situation; a player's dynamic understanding of 'what is going on around them' during the game. Research has shown that SA is importantly linked to player's decision-making development, performance, and rehabilitation. That is, SA: i. can be (and needs to be) developed from a young age and needs to be promoted and maintained during training; ii. is related to player's and referee's performance and expertise; that is, better, more skilled/expert players/referees possess a higher degree of SA; iii. is related to injury proneness, as well as rehabilitation; that is, lowered SA is a precursor to injury, and increased/recovered SA can be used as an identifier for game readiness following rehabilitation. In this honours projects, which takes place in ACU's Perception-Action Rehabilitation Clinic and Learning Environment (PARCLE), we use Virtual Reality to assist player development, player monitoring, and rehabilitation in baseball.

Suitable for exercise science, high performance sport, science, and psychology students.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

A critical aspect of decision-making and a baseball-player's on the pitch behaviour is their situation awareness (SA), that is, the level of awareness that an individual has of a situation; a player's dynamic understanding of 'what is going on around them' during the game. Research has shown that SA is importantly linked to player's decision-making development, performance, and rehabilitation. That is, SA: i. can be (and needs to be) developed from a young age and needs to be promoted and maintained during training; ii. is related to player's and referee's performance and expertise; that is, better, more skilled/expert players/referees possess a higher degree of SA; iii. is related to injury proneness, as well as rehabilitation; that is, lowered SA is a precursor to injury, and increased/recovered SA can be used as an identifier for game readiness following rehabilitation. In this honours projects, which takes place in ACU's Perception-Action Rehabilitation Clinic and Learning Environment (PARCLE), we use Virtual Reality to assist player development, player monitoring, and rehabilitation in baseball.

Suitable for exercise science, high performance sport, science, and psychology students.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

This project explores the biomechanics of weightlifting and powerlifting, aiming to uncover key insights into movement efficiency, force production, and potential methods of injury prevention. This project will involve the use of motion capture systems, force plates, and accelerometers to help assess biomechanical variables across various lifts. Participants will gain hands-on experience in data collection and analysis while collaborating with Dr Jonathon Weakley, Dr Mark Creaby, and A/Prof. Grant Duthie. This project is ideal for students passionate about biomechanics, strength sports, and applied sport science research.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Jonathon Weakley (Jonathon.Weakley@acu.edu.au) and Mark Creaby (mark.creaby@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

A critical aspect of decision-making in team-sport and a player's on the pitch behaviour is their situation awareness (SA), that is, the level of awareness that an individual has of a situation; a player's dynamic understanding of 'what is going on around them' during the game. Research has shown that SA is importantly linked to player's decision-making, development, performance, and rehabilitation. That is, SA: i. can be (and needs to be) developed from a young age and needs to be promoted and maintained during training; ii. is related to player's and referee's performance and expertise; that is, better, more skilled/expert players/referees possess a higher degree of SA; iii. is related to injury proneness, as well as rehabilitation; that is, lowered SA is a precursor to injury, and increased/recovered SA can be used as an identifier for game readiness following rehabilitation. We have a number of honours projects, in which we use a wireless wearable technology system (SATS) to assist player development, player monitoring, and rehabilitation in team-sport (soccer, field-hockey, AFL) to address important research questions in skill acquisition and SA.

Suitable for exercise science, high performance sport, science, and psychology students.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Daniel Chalkley

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Gait-related falls are a large public health burden, and both the sheer number of gait-related falls, and the associated societal costs continue to increase. Recent research has shown that an individual's ability to adapt their gait is an important factor related to gait-related falls and mobility as people age. In the current honours project, which takes place in ACU's Perception-Action Rehabilitation Clinic and Learning Environment (PARCLE), we will use Virtual Reality and the task of bushwalking as an activity that can improve gait adaptability of community dwelling older adults. Suitable for exercise science, high performance sport, science, and psychology students.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Oxytocin (OT) is a protein-based biomarker that has been hypothesized as a physiological mediator of an integrated 'anti-stress' response attributable to social affiliation, with resulting long-term health benefits and that facilitates socio-cognitive responses. Although there is considerable support for the idea that OT is involved in the encouragement of important processes linked to greater performance in sport, empirical support for this association is preliminary and limited to laboratory studies, making it difficult to generalise them to elite sport environments. What's more, there is very limited knowledge about the individual differences in athlete oxytocin reactivity. In this honours project, we will develop a methodology to study the association between social cognition, sport performance and oxytocin (OT).

Suitable for exercise science, high performance sport, science, and psychology students.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au) and Assoc. Prof. Francesca Fernandez

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative condition characterised by slowness of movement, muscle rigidity, and resting tremor, but as the disease progresses postural instability and gait difficulties begin to affect activities of daily living. Declines in physical functioning effectively expose people with PD to a nine times greater risk of recurrent falls, and a five times greater risk of sustaining fall-related injuries compared with healthy individuals of a similar age. Prospective research shows more than 50% of falls experienced by people with PD occur during walking or transferring tasks, implicating postural instability and gait difficulties as likely contributors to a large percentage of the falls experienced by this population. The proposed Honours project would provide the student with an opportunity to apply principles of biomechanics, motor control and neuroscience to better understand the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and investigate their potential role in the falls experienced by this population.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Michael Cole (Michael.Cole@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

A critical aspect of decision-making in team-sport and a player's on the pitch behaviour is their situation awareness (SA), that is, the level of awareness that an individual has of a situation; a player's dynamic understanding of 'what is going on around them' during the game. Head accelerations resulting from heading or tackles can influence a players situation awareness. To assist concussion research and management, in this project we will use wearable technology to measure an athlete's situation awareness and how it is affected by head accelerations, repetitive head impacts, and concussion in team-sport.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au), Dan Chalkley, Thomas McGuckian, and Richard Johnston.

Campus where project is available: Brisbane and Melbourne

About one in three of Australians aged 65+ fall at least once per year and the cost of these incidents is estimated at 41% ($3.7bn) of all injury expenditure. The negative consequences of falls can significantly impact individuals and communities. A large-scale Australian population-based prospective risk factor survey is underway, which uses online falls tracking to investigate the effects of the walking environment on prospective falls in adults over the age of 65. This honours project aims to assist in the creation of a mobility prescription tool for health care practitioners based on the data collected. You will be embedded within the STOP Falls Research Group in Brisbane. You will be involved in supporting ongoing projects occurring within STOP Falls, with existing local and international partnerships in community and aged care settings. You will gain experience in collecting, processing, and analysing movement data in these real-world settings, and use gold-standard technologies that include 3D motion capture (Vicon), inertial measurement units and virtual reality in our purpose-built biomechanics and perception-in-action laboratories.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

CrossFit is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It requires a combination of strength, power, speed, endurance, and skill. Therefore, strength and conditioning is an essential consideration for success at the highest levels. This project will investigate the strength and conditioning practices, physiological demands, and physical capacities of CrossFit and its athletes. This project would be ideal for any student who is passionate about high-performance sport and strength and conditioning.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Jonathon Weakley (Jonathon.Weakley@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Situation awareness (SA) is an individual's knowledge of what is happening in their immediate surroundings. SA capabilities denote the accuracy with which personnel can perceive relevant events in their environment (i.e., a threat), establish their significance (where is the threat, is it significant), use this knowledge to execute action (what can/will I do based on my performance capabilities) and anticipate future outcomes (if threat is there, where might it go next). This project aims to understand the current methods of quantifying and training threat detection in tactical populations and identify areas where advances in inertial measurement units (IMUs) might be a useful and potent tool to improve upon current training and performance evaluation methods. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in applying principles of sport science and skill acquisition in new fields and occupations.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr Daniel Chalkley (Daniel.chalkley@acu.edu.au), Dr Patrick Campbell (Patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au) and Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Situation awareness (SA) is an individual's knowledge of what is happening in their immediate surroundings. SA capabilities denote the accuracy with which personnel can perceive relevant events in their environment (i.e., a threat), establish their significance (where is the threat, is it significant), use this knowledge to execute action (what can/will I do based on my performance capabilities) and anticipate future outcomes (if threat is there, where might it go next). This project aims to evaluate the capabilities of individuals or groups at different levels of expertise to identify and/or clear threats in a contaminated environment; and understand how these abilities interact with physical status, fatigue, or stress states. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in applying principles of sport science and skill acquisition in new fields and occupations.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr Daniel Chalkley (Daniel.chalkley@acu.edu.au), Dr Patrick Campbell (Patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au) and Prof. Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Fatigue is a common problem for people with CP with up to 40% of adults with CP reporting higher levels of fatigue than the general population. Fatigue is often described in the literature as a physical experience - for example, feelings of bodily tiredness, lack of energy for physical tasks and local muscle fatigue; and commonly clusters with other problems, including depressive symptoms and pain.

Few studies have investigated cognitive or mental fatigue in people with CP, which presents as excessive cognitive tiredness or exhaustion in response to a demanding task or significant sensory stimulation. Such cognitive fatigue is associated with a disproportionally long recovery time and is defined as an atypical or pathological response to a demanding task.

A useful measurement tool to consider is the modified Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS), which is yet to be utilised with people with CP beyond psychometric evaluation. This scale proposes a cut-off score for 'problematic fatigue' and demonstrated construct validity with a small sample of people with CP (n=10).

Further work is required to investigate the prevalence of cognitive fatigue in people with CP using the MFS, and to evaluate its co-occurrence with other problems.

This project aims to:1) Estimate the prevalence of self-reported cognitive fatigue in people with CP without intellectual disability. 2) Explore the associations of self-reported cognitive fatigue with level of functioning, neurological subtype, pain and depressive symptoms.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Jemima Spathis (Jemima.spathis@acu.edu.au), Dr. Iain Dutia and Dr. Suzanna Russell

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Accurately tracking athlete training loads is a prerequisite for effective performance management. Technological advances have facilitated substantial improvements in the tracking of on-field training load, however recording of training loads in the gym are typically limited to manual reporting by the athlete. This Honours project will investigate the use of wearable technology to predict and quantify performance metrics of a range of strength and conditioning exercises in the gym environment. This project would suit students from Exercise Science, High Performance Sport or Sports Engineering. An interest in Strength and Conditioning and/or Biomechanics would be advantageous.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Mark Creaby (mark.creaby@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Jonathon Weakley

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Military organisations observe a high burden of musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI) to their personnel, resulting in MSKI being primarily responsible for high rates of limited duty days and disability, increased costs of medical care, attrition in training and serving personnel, losses in overall military operational effectiveness, and an increased burden of care on the community veterans are returned to. Despite the considerable extent to which injury surveillance and risk factor research has been undertaken to date, there is little evidence of a reduction in the overall high incidence burdens of MSKI, nor reductions in the overall burden MSKI places on military organisations and health systems. This honours project seeks to provide insight into one of the primary potential issues within the MSKI research in military personnel, namely quantifying the considerable heterogeneity of injury definitions within injury surveillance systems. This project is ideal for candidates interested in applying principles of exercise and sport science in tactical personnel.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr Patrick Campbell (Patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au) and Assoc. Prof. Richard Johnston (Richard.johnston@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane

Resistance training is an effective method for the development of strength and power. Traditionally it is monitored through simple methods (e.g., counting repetitions, volume load). However, more advanced methods have been developed. For example, velocity-based training is an advanced monitoring method that uses technology to measure performance. But to use this method, the tools that monitor exercise velocity must be accurate. Therefore, this study will aim to validate the technology that underpins this training method.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Jonathon Weakley (Jonathon.Weakley@acu.edu.au), Dr. Mark Creaby and Assoc. Prof. Grant Duthie.

Campus where project is available: Brisbane/Blacktown

Analysis of performance in competition environments is vital to understanding how we can support the design of more representative training environments. This honours project aims to understand what impact performance outcomes in the National Football League with a specific focus on successful and unsuccessful pass outcomes from the quarterback. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in integrating performance analysis and skill acquisition principles to better understand performance and ultimately, enhancing training design.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Adam Hewitt (adam.hewitt@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Brisbane/Blacktown/Melbourne/Strathfield

Recent research conducted in the SPRINT Research Centre has demonstrated that microtechnology devices such as Global Navigation Satellite System Units (GNSS) with embed Inertial Measurement Units (IMU's) commonly worn by team sport athletes can be used to derive valid and reliable gait variables such as contact time, flight time, step time and vertical ground reaction force. Furthermore, these units have been demonstrated to be able to detect fatigue related changes in running gait through variables such as vertical stiffness. These advances allow detailed gait analysis in the field although are not currently available in the software provided by microtechnology companies. However, the software provided by companies does report variables that are supposedly representations of gait such as number of footstrikes and a range of other metrics but the validity and reliability of these metrics is unclear. The aim of this work is to compare these proprietary metrics to validated gait measures during running. A student undertaking this research would have the opportunity to assist/be exposed to other projects in the SPRINT Research Centre. This would include research involving a range of technologies used in High Performance Sport (e.g. force plates, accelerometers etc.) in addition to the potential for development of skills for data analysis such as coding in R.

Project Supervisor(s): Professor Stuart Cormack (stuart.cormack@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

This project is part of the ACU collaboration with RSL Victoria to support the wellbeing of Victorian veterans (those who have served in the Australian Defence Force) and first responders.

Many veterans are known to have physical and psychosocial vulnerabilities related to service, and others report negative changes in their physical activity levels after transition from the military. Older veterans are encouraged to maintain activity levels and social interaction to improve their overall health. Psychosocial and physical 'lifestyle' activities are therefore seen as a priority wellbeing enabler for veterans and their family members. Yet few programs have been evaluated for their ability to enact change in psychosocial and physical activity outcomes in this cohort.

RSL Active runs lifestyle and fitness programs across Victoria at RSL Sub-Branches, designed to allow veterans to maintain healthy lifestyles that support wellbeing. This project works with RSL Victoria as well as the ACU supervisory team, to develop and pilot an evaluation of some RSL Active programs. There is scope for the student to investigate one of a range of suggested enablers of participation or change in veterans. The project involves coordination with the RSL Victoria State Branch and Sub-Branches, and travel in various regional Victorian locations to collect data.

This project would suit an Exercise Science or Psychology Honours student and may involve a combined student project, depending on the field of study of the student. The student does not require any background in working with military or veterans; however a genuine interest in supporting veterans and their families is necessary.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Doug Whyte (doug.whyte@acu.edu.au) and Carolyn Deans (RSL Victoria)

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

A critical aspect of decision-making in team-sport and a player's on the pitch behaviour is their situation awareness (SA), that is, the level of awareness that an individual has of a situation; a player's dynamic understanding of 'what is going on around them' during the game. Head accelerations resulting from heading or tackles can influence a players situation awareness. To assist concussion research and management, in this project we will use wearable technology to measure an athlete's situation awareness and how it is affected by head accelerations, repetitive head impacts, and concussion in team-sport.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Gert-Jan Pepping (gert-jan.pepping@acu.edu.au), Dan Chalkley, Thomas McGuckian, and Richard Johnston.

Campus where project is available: Brisbane and Melbourne

Hydration is critical for performance. Dehydration not only reduces physical performance but also performance across a range of cognitive tasks including sensation, perception, motor coordination, executive function, attention, and memory. It also appears to impair learning in school children, but whether dehydration impairs the learning of sport-related motor skills remains unknown. Sport-related motor skills are often developed through implicit learning, capitalising on subconscious processes to automate the skill performance, making it more robust in the face of fatigue or psychological pressure. Therefore, this study will assess the impact of thirst and hydration status on implicit learning in young adults.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Doug Whyte (doug.whyte@acu.edu.au) and Assoc. Prof. Adrienne Forsyth

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

There is scope within the school to explore Honours topics in Outdoor Leadership, International Volunteer Programs, Sports Community Engagement Programs and Sport and Physical Activity. These could involve qualitative, quantitative or a mixed-methods approach. It is also possible to combine two areas within the Faculty. For example, the psychological impact of outdoor and environmental education, or the impact of community engagement activities on students' mental health.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Beth McLeod (Beth.Mcleod@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Brisbane/Strathfield/Melbourne

Iron deficiency is a global health problem estimated to affect ~33% of non-pregnant women globally. Comparative to men, women can face additional challenges to maintaining healthy iron stores, which includes menstrual blood loss and cyclical changes to estrogen concentrations across the menstrual cycle and the life span. Furthermore, female athletes are at increased risk of iron deficiency due to the additional impact of high-volume exercise on iron regulation. This project will have you lead one arm of an ongoing randomised control trial, where you will be involved in recruitment, data collection and data analysis. You will examine the effectiveness of two different oral iron supplements (Ferrograd C™ and Maltofer™) to determine which is better at repleting iron stores over 12 weeks in team sport athletes. You will also determine which supplement is associated with better tolerance and adherence.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Alannah McKay (Alannah.mckay@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Sophie Broome

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

Repeated high intensity running has been shown to cause reductions in vertical stiffness (Kvert) which decrease running efficiency via an increased oxygen cost for a given running speed. This project will examine the links between Kvert and running economy in team sport athletes. The student involved in this project will learn how to use Global Navigation Satellite System Devices, Cosmed K5 Portable Metabolic System and analyse data from these systems.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Stuart Cormack (stuart.cormack@acu.edu.au), Dr. Paul Tofari, Dr. Doug Whyte, Dr. Yi-Chung Lin

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

Analysis of performance in competition environments is vital to understanding how we can support the design of more representative training environments. This honours project aims to understand what impact performance outcomes in the National Football League with a specific focus on successful and unsuccessful pass outcomes from the quarterback. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in integrating performance analysis and skill acquisition principles to better understand performance and ultimately, enhancing training design.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Adam Hewitt (adam.hewitt@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Melbourne /Blacktown/Brisbane /Strathfield

Work from the SPRINT Research Centre has demonstrated that GNSS units commonly worn by team sport athletes are capable of accurately detecting a range of gait variables such as contact time, step time and vertical ground reaction force (VGRF). It has been assumed that specific firmware and software is needed to ensure that VGRF can be accurately measured, and that corrections scan be made to values based on the orientation of the unit arising from trunk lean of the athlete. However, it is not known if this assumption is correct based on how the units are used in team sports. This project will involve participants completing a series of 15m runs at various paces whilst wearing multiple GNSS devices. Data analysis will compare the gait characteristics derived from different firmware and software. The student involved in this project will learn to use GNSS devices, timing gates, as well as MATLAB and/or R to process the data. It would suit someone who is interested in working with data.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Prof. Stuart Cormack (stuart.cormack@acu.edu.au), Dr. Paul Tofari, Dr. Yi-Chung Lin

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

Physically Active Learning involves including physical activity games with a learning focus in subjects other than physical education. The benefits of activity for the mind and body are clear, likewise, the benefits of including physical active learning (PAL) for students are strong. However, the inclusion of PAL in higher education contexts has been slow. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by developing and training staff on how to embed PAL into their HE classes. Students will help examine how the PAL Higher Ed program influences tertiary teachers' professional growth, as well as their willingness, competence, and confidence in incorporating active pedagogical strategies into their teaching.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Beth Mcleod (beth.mcleod@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

This project will utilise the HAMstring InjuRy (HAMIR) Index database to determine factors that increase the risk of hamstring injuries in collegiate American Footballers. The HAMIR Index is a US$4m prospective cohort study led by ACU, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and industry partner Springbok Analytics. The project collected data on key risk factors for hamstring injury over a 3-year period in over 600 collegiate American Footballers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brigham Young University, Notre Dame University, Indiana University and University of North Carolina, making it the largest study ever to determine hamstring injury risk factors in athletes. More details on the HAMIR Index study can be found here. This specific honours project will utilise a combination of demographic, biomechanics and medical imaging data to identify factors that increase the risk of hamstring injury. As a student you will learn how to handle large data sets and conduct analyses to predict hamstring injury outcomes.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: David Opar (David.opar@acu.edu.au) and Yi-Chung Lin (yi-chung.lin@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

This project examines how physiological and cognitive fatigue interact under operationally relevant stressors, including environmental extremes, carrying load, and behavioural demands; and how these combined effects influence task performance. Particular emphasis will be placed on cognitive fatigue and situation awareness, both of which underpin safe and effective task execution under fatigue. By applying innovative assessment methods to capture cognitive performance in context, the project seeks to better contextualise fatigue and task performance. The outcomes will inform strategies to mitigate fatigue-related errors, improve task readiness, and support the long-term health and wellbeing of tactical personnel.

Optional Research Internship Experience - ACU Veterans and Families Research Network

In addition to their Honours thesis, students will have the opportunity to participate in an optional research internship aligned with the ACU National Centre for Veterans & Families. This experience is designed to enhance readiness for future HDR study and industry research engagement. Activities may include assisting in qualitative and quantitative data analysis on connected centre projects, supporting survey development and participant recruitment, or contributing to knowledge translation materials tailored for policymakers and community partners. Students may also help plan research network events, contribute to collaborative projects with defence and veteran organisations, or shadow researchers in project management activities.

Supervisors: Dr Patrick Campbell (established supervisor from SPRINT); Dr Daniel Chalkley (emerging supervisor from SPRINT) and Mr Michael Rigney (emerging supervisor)

QRL Project Descriptions: Honours EOI Format

This project will investigate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision-based POSE analysis to estimate ground reaction forces (GRFs) during running. The study will be conducted at the Blacktown Exercise and Sport Technology (BEST) Hub biomechanics laboratory, which is equipped with in-ground force plates to provide gold-standard GRF measurements. Participants will complete running trials over the force plates while being simultaneously recorded on video. POSE analysis will be applied to the video data to extract kinematic information. This POSE data will then be used to train an AI model to estimate GRFs, with the in-ground force plate data serving as the ground truth for model development and validation. The project will focus on:

• Developing and training an algorithm to predict GRFs from POSE-derived kinematic data.
• Evaluating the accuracy of the algorithm against measured GRFs.
• Calculating braking and propulsive forces during running.

Previous research has demonstrated that similar systems can accurately quantify contact time and flight time. This project represents a logical progression toward estimating more complex kinetic variables using accessible video-based methods.

Description of the research internship opportunity

The successful student will gain experience in:

• Biomechanical data collection using force plates and high-speed video.
• POSE estimation techniques and computer vision methods.
• AI model development, training, and validation.
• Data analysis and interpretation in applied sports biomechanics.

If successful, this approach could provide a cost-effective and portable method for estimating GRFs in field settings, expanding the accessibility of advanced biomechanical analysis for coaches, athletes, and practitioners.

Supervisors: Associate Professor Grant Duthie (established supervisor); Dr Mark Moresi (emerging supervisor) and Mr Louis Dennison (third supervisor)

Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture is a highly common knee injury occurring in high performance team sport athletes. The purpose of this research project is to quantify the accuracy of a new triple hop test that assesses the single leg function of athletes using two dimensional markerless motion capture. Team sport athletes will undertake triple hop test and will be concurrently monitored using two dimensional markerless motion capture and a criterion three dimensional marker based motion capture system (VICON). Joint kinematics (hip and knee angular velocity) will be assessed for accuracy.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Assoc. Prof. Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au), Dr. Mark Moresi, Dr, Paul Taylor and Dr. Michael Psarakis

Campus where project is available: Strathfield and Blacktown

This project leverages advancements in Artificial Intelligence to analyse POSE data from camera footage in elite-level football. While traditional tracking data has provided valuable insights into players’ gross movements and acceleration patterns, emerging research highlights the critical role of deceleration in performance and injury risk. By applying POSE analysis, this project aims to capture detailed kinematic data of individual deceleration events. The objective is to enhance our understanding of how athletes decelerate during competition, identifying key movement characteristics and biomechanical factors. These insights will inform performance optimisation, injury prevention strategies, and athlete monitoring in high-performance football environments.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

This project aims to investigate the relationship between key leg strength qualities and deceleration ability in elite team sport athletes. While leg strength, reactive strength, and rate of force development are well-established contributors to acceleration and high-speed running, their role in deceleration is less understood. This study will assess athletes’ strength qualities through isolated performance tests and examine their deceleration ability using markerless motion capture technology. By linking these physical qualities to deceleration performance, the project seeks to identify whether specific strength characteristics contribute to more effective or efficient deceleration, informing both strength and conditioning practices and technical coaching strategies.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

The triple hop test is widely used to assess single-leg athletic performance and plays a crucial role in rehabilitation programs to monitor return-to-play progress. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled markerless motion capture systems to provide detailed biomechanical feedback, including contact time and flight time, beyond just measuring hop distance. However, these AI-derived metrics require validation against the gold-standard force plate to ensure accuracy and reliability. This project aims to compare markerless motion capture data with force plate measurements, assessing its validity for use in performance testing and rehabilitation settings to enhance athlete monitoring and decision-making.

Supervisors: Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Blacktown

There is scope within the school to explore Honours topics in Outdoor Leadership, International Volunteer Programs, Sports Community Engagement Programs and Sport and Physical Activity. These could involve qualitative, quantitative or a mixed-methods approach. It is also possible to combine two areas within the Faculty. For example, the psychological impact of outdoor and environmental education, or the impact of community engagement activities on students' mental health.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr. Beth McLeod (Beth.Mcleod@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Strathfield/Melbourne/Brisbane

Analysis of performance in competition environments is vital to understanding how we can support the design of more representative training environments. This honours project aims to understand what impact performance outcomes in the National Football League with a specific focus on successful and unsuccessful pass outcomes from the quarterback. This honours project is ideal for candidates interested in integrating performance analysis and skill acquisition principles to better understand performance and ultimately, enhancing training design.

Project Supervisors: Dr. Chris McCosker (chris.mccosker@acu.edu.au) and Dr. Adam Hewitt (adam.hewitt@acu.edu.au)

Campus: Strathfield/Melbourne /Blacktown/Brisbane

The association between repeated head acceleration events (HAE) and long-term brain health is of considerable concern in contact and combat sports. Instrumented mouthguards (iMG) now allow for the accurate quantification of HAEs, however little is known about HAEs in combat sports like boxing. To address this, this project will use iMG to quantify the volume and magnitude of HAE during boxing sparring in the lead-up to competitive fights in men and women elite amateur fighters. Specifically, the project aims are to: Determine the feasibility of iMG for capturing HAE during boxing training; Understand the volume and magnitude of HAE during training;

Determine whether HAE change in the lead-up to a fight; Produce a high quality publication addressing these aims. The proposed honours project will provide you with the opportunity to apply principles of sports science and strength and conditioning in a real-world setting working with athletes and coaches in the lead-up to a sanctioned fight.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Assoc. Prof. Richard Johnston (richard.johnston@acu.edu.au); Assoc. Prof. Grant Duthie (grant.duthie@acu.edu.au); Shreya McLeod (MHSc / MACP) (shreya.mcleod@acu.edu.au); Dr Patrick Campbell (patrick.campbell@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Strathfield/Blacktown