Our initiatives

As Paralympics Australia’s Official Higher Education Partner, UQ draws on research and expertise to drive innovation and advocacy, creating greater opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport, physical activity, and their communities — building a more inclusive future for all.

Since 2000, the Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies (QCOPS) has been at the forefront of research and innovation across sport, health, and the Olympic and Paralympic movement. By bringing together academia, industry, government, and community partners, QCOPS drives collaboration, inspires innovation, and helps create a lasting legacy.

The University of Queensland has partnered with the International Testing Agency (ITA) to deliver specialised anti-doping education and training as the world’s second ITA Academic Centre. Through this partnership, UQ will help advance clean sport globally by training doping control officers, blood collection officers, chaperones, and clean sport educators. This collaboration highlights UQ’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and fair play in sport.

The University of Queensland and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) are offering HDR Top Up research scholarships to support innovative, sports-focused research across a broad range of disciplines. Students from diverse academic backgrounds are encouraged to explore research opportunities that can contribute to the future of sport, athlete performance, health and wellbeing, and sporting innovation. For more information, including eligibility criteria and key dates, visit the UQ Scholarships webpage.

As part of the UQ-ITA partnership, limited annual funding is available to support collaborative research projects through the UQ–ITA Academic Centre. While specific research opportunities and priority areas will be advertised throughout the year, Expressions of Interest are welcome at any time for projects aligned with the strategic priorities of UQ and the ITA.