A researcher adjusts the oxygen headpiece on an athlete who is riding an exercise bike in the UQ gym

Initiatives

Discover QCOPS' current initiatives and research projects.

QCOPS strives to better society through research and projects that prioritise sport and physical wellbeing.

To learn more about our current research projects, or to discuss future projects, partnerships, events and collaboration opportunities, contact us at qcops@uq.edu.au.

Featured projects

Disability Sport Action Plan 

The vision of Australia’s Play Well Sport Participation Strategy is that “Everyone has a place in sport”, with a mission to create “safe, welcoming, inclusive and fun experiences”.

As part of the broader Play Well Sport Participation Strategy, the Australian Sports Commission and The University of Queensland are collaborating to develop a National Disability Sport Action Plan. The plan aims to remove barriers to participation, strengthen alignment across community sport networks, and improve access and opportunities for people with disability at every level of sport.

This stakeholder survey is the first step in the project and will help inform the development of the Action Plan.

Researchers

Partners/funding

Help shape the future of disability sport in Australia

Complete the survey here.

Adapted Sport and Physical Activity Research Group

The Adapted Sport and Physical Activity Research Group brings together research, education and community engagement to improve opportunities for physical activity, sport participation and health outcomes for people with disability and those living with complex health conditions.

The Adapted Sport and Physical Activity Research Group offers the following programs:

Researchers

Partners/funding

Join a program 

We're currently accepting referrals into the programs within the Adapted Sport and Physical Activity Research Group.

To find out more, visit the website.

Food Systems

This project investigates how food waste is portrayed and addressed during Olympic Games and other mega-sporting events, with the goal of informing more sustainable practices ahead of the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. The research will examine both media coverage and policy documents to understand how food waste is framed, what strategies have been used to reduce it, and how these narratives may influence public and consumer behaviour.
 
The study will be conducted in two stages: a systematic review of academic and grey literature on food waste at mega-events, followed by a qualitative critical discourse analysis of the findings. The research is motivated by growing concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of food waste in event settings, where food consumption is often characterised by abundance and over-purchasing. The project uses recent initiatives such as the Paris 2024's sustainability-focused “Food Vision” as a key case study.
 
Outcomes will include a peer-reviewed publication, policy recommendations for relevant stakeholders, and foundational evidence for future grant applications and student research projects. Ultimately, the project aims to generate knowledge that can support the design of more sustainable food systems and waste-reduction strategies for future Olympic and mega-event contexts.

Researchers

UQ Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame

This digital archive project honours the legacy of UQ’s Olympians and Paralympians, celebrating their remarkable journeys and inspiring future generations.

The Hall of Fame will profile a diverse range of athletes, para-athletes and support staff, showcasing not only their achievements in sport, but also their careers following retirement from elite competition.

This flagship Brisbane 2032 legacy project will celebrate UQ's Alumni network and wider community connected through sport.

Researchers

Help us recognise UQ’s Olympic and Paralympic history. View the current database here.

IOC safe sport regional hub initiative feasibility study: Pacific region

UQ is collaborating with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on a project to combat interpersonal violence in sport in the Pacific Islands.

We will conduct an extensive feasibility study for the IOC’s Safe Sport Hub Initiative to support the subsequent set-up of a regional safeguarding hub in the Pacific Islands.

The hub will facilitate access to local contextualised support for those experiencing interpersonal or gender-based violence in sport, strengthen localised protection, and improve cooperation and coordination between local sport- and non-sport-based safeguarding systems and services.

Aligning with existing regional initiatives and key IOC initiatives, the hub will play a critical role in protecting and supporting athletes at a local level.

Watch Pacific Advisory Council - June 2025 on YouTube.

Researchers

Digitalisation of the Support Needs Assessment Tool

People with disability participate in sport and exercise at lower rates than the general population. One key barrier is that many health, fitness and sport professionals lack the knowledge and confidence to understand and respond to the support needs of people with disability.
To help address this, UQ has developed the Support Needs Assessment Tool for Sport and Exercise (SNAT-SE), a practical tool designed to assist coaches and professionals to identify the support needs of people with disability who want to participate in sport and exercise.
This project is leading the co-design and development of a web-based version of the tool. The study will explore the usability and acceptability of the web-based tool from the perspective of end-users, helping ensure it is practical, accessible and fit for purpose.
 
Researchers
Partners/funding

Torres Strait Islander history: sport, culture and identity

This project aims to investigate sport as a means of understanding the cultures, identities and history of Torres Strait Islanders.

Through a community-centred approach, and a project team including Torres Strait Islanders, the project challenges versions of Australian history that marginalise the Strait or conflate Islanders with Aboriginal people.

Expected outcomes of this project include:

  • a more nuanced history of Indigenous Australia
  • a significant body of repatriated resources on Islander sport
  • increased involvement of Islander communities in the history-making process.

Anticipated benefits include a multifaceted contribution to reconciliation and better understanding of our unique and complex national identity.

Researchers

Partners/funding

  • Australian Research Council Discovery Project

Events

See all events
Hand placing a wooden block with heart and clock on longevity text and other health related blocks
21 October

Living Longer and Strong Lecture

Herston