Students from across the Pacific can now access scholarships to support sport-based research in Pacific Island Countries and Territories thanks to an initiative supported by the USP Research Office and Oceania National Olympic Committees.
The Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarships provide new opportunities for post-graduate students from Pacific Islands to complete a one-year research masters at The University of the South Pacific (USP).
The first three recipients of the Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarships (PRSRS) are from Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati and have already begun their research scholarships at USP’s Laucala Campus on sport sociology, sport policy and physical education.
Koini Vuli, one of the inaugural scholarship recipients, is from Fiji and has chosen to focus her research on ‘Pains and Gains of Women’s Rugby: Fijian women’s experience of a male-dominated sport’ and has partnered with Fiji Rugby to complete her industry placement hours as part of the scholarship.
Sport Matters designed the scholarship program as part of the technical assistance provided to the USP Research Office on sport for development in the Pacific. The scholarships are funded through joint contributions from the USP Research Office and ONOC building on an existing partnership between the two regional organisations that values education, sustainability and innovation.
The Pacific Sports Research Scholarships are an important legacy from USP’s 50th anniversary year and open new doors for institutional partnerships for the University with private sector, NGO and University partners, and international student and teaching exchanges. Strengthening the teaching and research capacity at USP in sports and sustainable development is a significant milestone for the University and demonstrates strong leadership towards filling a research gap in the Pacific Islands.
For further information on the Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarships visit: USP Research Office