18 June 2021: Ten scholarships are now available for the Master of Applied Clinical Epidemiology (MACE) program, which is jointly offered by the University of Canberra and the Australian Institute of Sport.
The scholarships are sponsored by the AIS, as part of its commitment to support a preventative healthcare model in high performance sport.
The MACE program was jointly developed by the University and the AIS in 2019, to provide health professionals in National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) and the National Institute Network (NIN) with the skills and insight to optimise the health and performance of elite athletes.
The unique, world-first degree aims to give athletes the best chance of podium success by improving plans and strategies to prevent injury.
Nine grants have been distributed across the high performance sport system, since MACE was first introduced, with the third round to offer ten scholarships worth $6,800.
“I’m proud of this program, and the work the AIS and University of Canberra are doing to give our athletes the best chance of health and success,” said AIS CEO Peter Conde.
“The MACE program is improving the system’s ability to prevent injury and keep our athletes healthy. The nine grant recipients are all playing vital roles in supporting athletes ahead of Tokyo, with MACE helping them to revolutionise the way we manage health in sport.”
MACE Course Convenor and University of Canberra Associate Professor in Physiotherapy Dr Jeremy Witchalls said that the program has been a clear success.
“The AIS has been a world leader in implementing evidence-based solutions for athlete health, and UC’s industry-led partnership with them has made this program extremely successful,” said Dr Witchalls.
“The program is attracting further interest from other areas for which this knowledge is valuable. The expansion of this skillset into the management of human performance is a tremendous growth area and it’s great to be on the forefront of that.”’
Epidemiologist and AIS Athlete Performance Health Manager Dr Michael Drew said that the MACE course offers advanced online learning and intensive hands-on experiences to deliver graduates who will be world leaders in the delivery of performance-driven health strategies.
“With a strong focus on applying research evidence to clinical practice, graduates will understand the principles of performance health management while gaining skills and experience in the development of programs and initiatives to ensure elite athletes consistently perform at their very best,” Dr Drew said.
Applications for the 2021 AIS MACE scholarships close on Thursday 8 July; successful applicants will be notified on Friday 16 July.
You’ll find more information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply for the scholarships on this page, or send an email to mace@ausport.gov.au.
AIS MACE Scholarship Recipients
2019
Melissa Crunkhorn, Performance Health Manager, Queensland Academy of Sport
Ben Pagett, Physiotherapist, Paralympics Australia
Ben Raysmith, Senior Physiotherapist, Athletics Australia
David Spurrier, Physiotherapist, South Australian Sports Institute
2020
Steve Hawkins, Lead Physiotherapist, Victorian Institute of Sport
Warren McDonald, Chief Medical Officer, Rugby Australia
Daniel Sheehy, Physiotherapist, ACT Academy of Sport
Gena Wallis, Physiotherapist, Tennis Australia
Kate Watson, Performance Health Coordinator, Queensland Academy of Sport
