Postgraduate research opportunities The Delivery of Artificial Intelligence Analytics Solutions for Cycling’s Performance Pathway: Informing Coaching and Athlete Performance through Data-Driven Insights
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Wednesday 4 December 2024
- Deadline: Wednesday 8 January 2025
- Number of places: 1
- Duration: 3 years
- Funding: Home fee, Stipend
Overview
sportscotland (the national agency for sport) has recently delivered an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera system at the Chris Hoy Velodrome in the Emirates Arena for Scottish Cycling. Through this innovation being delivered and installed, sportscotland and Scottish Cycling wish to answer and address key coaching and service support questions through the provision of related applied research involving AI data analysis, measurement, visualisation, and data interpretation processes.Eligibility
You should hold a 1 or 2.1 degree at undergraduate level in a relevant discipline from a recognised academic institution. Ideally your degree will be in Sports Science, Computer Science, or Mathematics & Statistics or related disciplines.
You should be highly motivated to undertake cutting edge multidisciplinary research in this field and to engage with a wide variety of stakeholders.
Desirable attributes
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly and appropriately to athletes, coaches, and colleagues
- Ability to understanding the needs of athletes and coaches by paying active listening
- Willingness to work closely with a multidisciplinary team (coaches, medical staff, and other support services)
- Ability to empathise with the physical and mental challenges athletes face
- Ability to recognise when an athlete or colleague is under stress or strain and responding appropriately
- Understanding of governing sporting bodies and high-performance sport pathways
Project Details
This PhD studentship offers a fantastic opportunity in cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research in collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, sportscotland and Scottish cycling.
Objectives
- Through AI data analysis, measurement, visualisation and data interpretation processes, answer and address key coaching and service support questions through the provision of related applied research.
- Provide daily training environment and competition-based AI camera system measurement of prioritised sportscotland / Scottish Cycling athletes’ performance that impacts upon performance preparations for key national, international events.
- Provide analysis, interpretation and feedback emerging from AI measurement to sportscotland / Scottish Cycling athletes, coaches, service providers and managers on a timely basis.
- Produce several conference and peer reviewed academic outputs that are approved by Scottish Cycling and sportscotland’s Innovation and Special Project Management Group prior to presentation and/or publication; and
- deliver Data Management Services that are line managed by sportscotland’s Data Manager up to a 50% working week
Further information
Important Notice: the successful applicant will be transferred to the new programme titled PhD in Sport Data Analytics, subject to senate approval.
Funding details
The studentship is fully funded and covers Home Fees and provides a stipend in line with UKRI guidance to cover their living expenses. Stipend for 2024/25 academic year is £1,603 per calendar month (tax free).
Please note that the studentship covers Home/UK fees only. While non-UK applicants can apply, you need to specify in your documentation how you will fund the difference between the home UK and international fee rates.
Home Students
To be eligible for a fully funded UK home studentship you must:
- Be a UK national or UK/EU dual national or non-UK national with settled status / pre-settled status / indefinite leave to remain / indefinite leave to enter / discretionary leave / EU migrant worker in the UK or non-UK national with a claim for asylum or the family member of such a person, and
- Have ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or British Overseas Territory, at the Point of Application, and
- Have three years residency in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas Territory or EEA before the relevant date of application unless residency outside of the UK/ EEA has been of a temporary nature only and of a period less than six years
The successful candidate must be able to commence study on 1 April 2025.
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Dr Allan Hewitt Physical Activity for Health, Department of Psychological Sciences and Health
Additional Supervisors: Dr Xanne Janssen (University of Strathclyde)
Dr Malcolm Fairweather (Scottish Institute of Sport) - Advisor
Apply
If you are suitably qualified, go to “apply now” under Physical Activity for Health and select “start: 1 April 2025”
Only complete applications will be considered. Your complete application should include:
- 800 – 1,000 words maximum cover letter (2 pages) detailing your interest and describing your suitability for, and why you are interested in this research project
- CV (2 pages)
- All academic transcripts and degree certificates to date
- 2 x Reference letters of which at least one must be academic – regarding your suitability for this research project
- If applicable, IELTS Certificate (minimum overall band score of 6.5, with no individual test score less than 5.5) or equivalent gained within 2 years prior to start date.
Please note that the University will be closed for the Christmas and New Year Holiday from 20/12/2024 until 03/01/2025 and re-opens on Monday 06/01/2025.
If you are shortlisted for interview you will be notified shortly after closing date, with interviews to be held week commencing 20/01/2025.
Number of places: 1
To read how we process personal data, applicants can review our 'Privacy Notice for Student Applicants and Potential Applicants' on our Privacy notices' web page.
Physical Activity and Health
Programme: Physical Activity and Health
Contact us
Dr Allan Hewitt (allan.hewitt@strath.ac.uk); Dr Malcolm Fairweather (Malcolm.fairweather@SISPORT.com)
Application enquiries: hass-pgr-scholarships@strath.ac.uk