The Olympic decade: the engineering and physics of sport.

The development of sport has always been, and continues to be, inextricably linked to the equipment being used by its enthusiasts. Engineers have shaped the sporting world; from tennis rackets to bicycles, football boots to pole vaults, the engineer has played a critical role pushing the boundaries of athletic performance and allowing mass participation. Engineers sit at the forefront of modern sport; ever searching for a technological advantage to increase performance, enhance enjoyment, or reduce the risk of injury. This activity is by no means free of criticism, and many people have strong views on the role of the sports engineer, and whether technology is improving sport at all.This Fellowship seeks to use the inspiration of sport, and the Olympics in particular, to raise the profile of science in the media. It will do this by having a sustained campaign of articles in the print media, on radio and TV, and online. In particular, articles will appear in both professional magazines such as Physics World and Professional Engineer and in popular science magazines such as the New Scientist. A monthly column in a regional newspaper will be supplemented by reactive interviews in the national press during key moments in the sporting calendar, and in particular during the Olympics. The impact of the Fellowship should see an audience of millions access the physics and engineering of sport across all forms of media. It is expected that this will stimulate the public engagement of activities of other scientists, particularly those in the Sports Engineering Research Group at Sheffield Hallam University.

The profile of sport between 2010 and 2013 will be very high, giving opportunities to highlight the role of science in society and the main impact of this Fellowship will be to help raise the profile of science using sport. Both the performance enhancing and ethical issues of technology in sport will be highlighted and one of the keys to will be to ensure continual exposure by using the timing of sporting events to help create interest. The aspirational audience figures for the Fellowship are: A regional monthly column on the role of science in sport accessed by 45,000; Popular science articles in the professional magizines read by approximately 150,000; A New Scientist poster available through hard copy to 140,000 and online to 3.5 million; engineeringsport blog accessed by >300 per day; Royal Institution Christmas lectures on the science of sport to >1 million; or A 5 episode radio series to >1 million. Other impacts will be: Inspiring people to engage with science Introducing science as a regular theme in sport in the media Providing concrete examples for use in the teaching of science in schools Signposting career choices for those seeking a career in engineering Motivation and new research interests for myself and my research team