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VCPRF HDR Scholarship - Injury Prevention: From Evidence to Embedded Prevention

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in studies reporting the development and evaluation of effective sports injury prevention programs. This work has provided important insights into the barriers and enablers towards sports injury programs. However, it has stopped short of exploring program scale-up, institutionalisation, policy embedding and sustainability. This PhD topic sits at the intersection of injury epidemiology, implementation science, policy analysis, and research impact assessment.

Important dates

Opens: 14-09-2026 Closes: 13-11-2026

Applies to

Domestic Postgraduate Research

At a glance

From Evidence to Embedded Prevention: Understanding why some sports injury prevention programs become routine practice, and others do not.

The research will answer one or more of the following questions: Which implementation strategies can be scaled-up to produce long-term measurable reductions in injury rates? Can sustained implementation success be predicted from program, organisational and contextual characteristics? What mechanisms lead to sustained uptake of a program beyond its effectiveness demonstration in a pragmatic trial? Which indicators best predict real-world impact of a sports injury program rather than only its academic impact? How does injury prevention evidence become embedded in sport governance structures?

Eligibility  guidelines

Only domestic candidates, or those with the right to work and study in Australia, will be considered.
Must have evidence of existing research skills through the completion of a strong honours degree or a Masters with a large research component.

Selection Criteria

  • A motivated PhD candidate with excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, together with an appreciation of their application in real-world settings.
  • Candidates should have a passion for methodological rigour and strong writing skills.
  • They will have a background and strong research interests in at least one of the following areas: bibliometrics, data science, epidemiology, implementation science, policy analysis or public health.
  • Experience with injury data or injury prevention practice would be advantageous.

Terms and conditions

Full-time candidature, with an expected completion within 3-4 years.
Enrolment will be at the Joondalup Campus, and the candidate must be able to meet with the supervisory panel face-to-face on this campus.

How to apply

Interested applicants should first contact the Principal Supervisor, Professor Caroline Finch AO, to discuss their suitability for this opportunity.
Please send your CV and a 1-page statement addressing the following criteria to c.finch@ecu.edu.au.

  • Why this project would suit them and what particular aspect of the research they would like to pursue.

For more information

Questions about this scholarship can be directed to c.finch@ecu.edu.au.

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