The Biomechanics Research and Innovation Challenge: Development, Implementation, Uptake, and Reflections on the Inaugural Program

Celeste E Coltman; Martina Barzan; Manuela Besomi; Victoria Brackley; Jaquelin A Bousie; Julie Choisne; Laura E Diamond; Taylor J M Dick; Nicole D'Souza; Samantha Fien; Alycia Fong Yan; Sheridan A Gho; Alexandra Giraldo-Pedroza; Laura A Hutchinson; Laura V Hutchison; Crystal O Kean; Maddison M Kirk; Amy Lewis; Jayishini N Maharaj; Nina Maher; Kerry J Mann; Suzanne Martin; Karen J Mickle; Azadeh Nasseri; Isobel H Oon; Rory Purdie; Shayan L Quinlan; Ceridwen R Radcliffe; Suzanne J Snodgrass; Siddharth Verma; Michelle Hall

doi:10.1123/jab.2023-0056

The Biomechanics Research and Innovation Challenge: Development, Implementation, Uptake, and Reflections on the Inaugural Program

J Appl Biomech. 2023 Nov 28;40(2):155-165. doi: 10.1123/jab.2023-0056. Print 2024 Apr 1.

Authors

Celeste E Coltman¹, Martina Barzan^{2

3}, Manuela Besomi^{4

5}, Victoria Brackley^{6

7}, Jaquelin A Bousie^{1

8}, Julie Choisne⁹, Laura E Diamond^{2

3}, Taylor J M Dick¹⁰, Nicole D'Souza¹¹, Samantha Fien¹², Alycia Fong Yan¹³, Sheridan A Gho^{14

15}, Alexandra Giraldo-Pedroza^{16

17}, Laura A Hutchinson¹⁸, Laura V Hutchison¹¹, Crystal O Kean¹², Maddison M Kirk¹⁹, Amy Lewis²⁰, Jayishini N Maharaj^{2

3

18}, Nina Maher¹, Kerry J Mann²¹, Suzanne Martin⁶, Karen J Mickle²², Azadeh Nasseri^{2

3}, Isobel H Oon¹, Rory Purdie²³, Shayan L Quinlan¹, Ceridwen R Radcliffe¹, Suzanne J Snodgrass²⁴, Siddharth Verma²⁵, Michelle Hall^{26

27}

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
² Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
³ School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
⁴ Carrera de Kinesiologia, Facultad de Medicina Clinica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
⁵ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
⁶ Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁷ Victorian Institute of Sport, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁸ Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
⁹ Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
¹⁰ School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
¹¹ The Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹² School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Mackay, QLD, Australia.
¹³ Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹⁴ Cenofex Innovations Pty. Ltd., Goulburn, NSW, Australia.
¹⁵ Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
¹⁶ School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
¹⁷ Applied Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering Research (AMBER) Group, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
¹⁸ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
¹⁹ Biomechanics Research Laboratory, School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
²⁰ VALD, Newstead, QLD, Australia.
²¹ School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia.
²² Applied Sport Science and Exercise Testing Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia.
²³ Deakin School of Engineering, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
²⁴ Discipline of Physiotherapy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
²⁵ BrainSTEM, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
²⁶ Centre for Health, Exercise and Sport Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
²⁷ Centre for Arthritis Research, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

PMID: 38016463
DOI: 10.1123/jab.2023-0056

Abstract

Biomechanics as a discipline is ideally placed to increase awareness and participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A nationwide Biomechanics and Research Innovation Challenge (BRInC) centered on mentoring and role modeling was developed to engage high school girls (mentees) and early-mid-career women (mentors) in the field of biomechanics through the completion of a 100-day research and/or innovation project. This manuscript describes the development, implementation, and uptake of the inaugural BRInC program and synthesizes the research and innovation projects undertaken, providing a framework for adoption of this program within the global biomechanics community. Eighty-seven high school girls in years 9 and 10 (age range: 14-16 y) were mentored in teams (n = 17) by women in biomechanics (n = 24). Using a design thinking approach, teams generated solutions to biomechanics-based problem(s)/research question(s). Eight key reflections on program strengths, as well as areas for improvement and planned changes for future iterations of the BRInC program, are outlined. These key reflections highlight the innovation, impact, and scalability of the program; the importance of a program framework and effective communication tools; and implementation of strategies to sustain the program as well as the importance of diversity and building a sense of community.

Keywords: STEM; early-mid-career researchers; high school; mentees; mentoring program; mentors; outreach.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Biomechanical Phenomena
Female
Humans
Mentoring*
Mentors