Sprint Spike Shoes Biomechanics

PhD studentship – UL – Danu Sports – Lero SFI – Sprint Spikes Biomechanics

Location: University of Limerick, Ireland

Deadline: 17.00 Irish time (GMT) 28^th March 2024

Interview date: 17^th April 2024

Start date: May 2024

Duration: Four years full-time

Description:

Applications are invited for a biomechanics PhD studentship funded by Science Foundation Ireland Lero and Danu Sports to start in May 2024. The project will be based in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick. The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof. Ian Kenny, Dr Mark Lyons, Dr Tom Comyns, Dr Ross Anderson, and Prof. Drew Harrison from the University of Limerick, in collaboration with Danu Sports. The aims and objectives of the PhD will:

·        quantify performance outcomes such as speed, ground contact time, flight time, ankle kinematics, to differentiate super spike shoes SSS from other running spikes.

·        investigate if the Danu Sports system can be used to monitor biomechanical changes in gait when wearing the super spike shoes.

·        focus around how four components (in-shoe pressure, shoe bending stiffness, anthropometric foot and leg length, MTPJ flexion and EMG) biomechanically change an athlete’s sprint profile.

The research will involve working with the industry partner Danu Sports to examine their equipment reliability and validity, via use of laboratory force platforms and infrared spatiotemporal assessment systems for criterion comparison. The candidate will work with club and international level athletes.

The University of Limerick (UL) with close to 18,000 students, including 2,000 international students and 2,000 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. The dynamic, entrepreneurial and pioneering values which drive UL’s mission and strategy ensures that we capitalise on local, national and international engagement and connectivity. The reference to UL as ‘Ireland’s Sporting Campus’ is very much as a consequence of the University’s strategy to create a world class sporting infrastructure. The building infrastructure is complimented by leading research facilities and staff from all aspects of sport and exercise sciences, the Sport and Human Performance Research Centre (SHPRC), Lero Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, and clinicians from UL’s Health Research Institute (HRI). Sport and Exercise Sciences within UL is ranked in the World’s top 50 by academic discipline.

Danu Sports is an innovative Irish start up that strives to collaborate with the world’s best and most innovative teams by bringing wearable analytics to a ground-breaking new level in sports. The Danu wearable system provides coaches, athletes and clients with a smart injury and performance analysis system through unrestricted, scientifically validated movement analysis in any environment, at any time. Danu has developed ground-breaking technology in the form of a pair of smart socks and movement analysis software that unleashes research-validated gait/movement analysis that removes the restrictions of lab-based analysis and the subjective nature of live-analysis. The smart socks provide unique kinetic and spatiotemporal analysis in any environment, at any time.

Requirements:

·        Candidates will normally need to hold at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in Sports Science, Physiotherapy or a related discipline. A relevant Master’s degree will be an advantage, as will experience in completion of a major research project.

·        Proven research experience and involvement in testing athletes is essential.

·        Knowledge and experience of kinematics and kinetics biomechanical assessment is essential.

·        Familiarity with advanced statistics will be an advantage.

·        The PhD candidate will be required to travel independently to testing locations locally and country-wide.

·        The PhD candidate must possess excellent written, verbal and presentation skills for both specialist and non-specialist audiences; excellent interpersonal skills; ability and experience in collaborating effectively in teams; an ability to work independently and with initiative at a high level of self-motivation; high level attentiveness to detail.

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Prof. Ian Kenny ian.kenny@ul.ie  

Application:

To apply, please send applications directly to the following e-mail address:

ian.kenny@ul.ie  

The application must comprise two documents:

1.     One-page cover letter briefly outlining applicant suitability and motivation for the PhD research topic, and education, employment and research experience.

2.     Curriculum Vitae (CV) including names and contact details of at least two referees.

Deadline: 17.00 Irish time (GMT) 28^th March 2024

General information about the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, the

University of Limerick, Sports and Human Performance Research Centre, Lero, and Danu Sports can be found at https://www.ul.ie/pess/research , https://www.ul.ie/  , https://www.ul.ie/shprc https://www.sfi.ie/sfi-research-centres/lero/ and https://www.danusports.com/ respectively

Package:

Tax free stipend of euro €22,000 per annum plus tuition fees at the EU rate. UK applicant fees are currently classified as EU. International (non-EU) students may apply but will need to self-finance the balance of the non-EU fees. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland Lero, and Danu Sports.