University awarded government funding help prevent injuries in British Army soldiers

RESEARCHERS from the University of Chichester have won funding to develop a physical activity evaluation system for the British Army which will help prevent injury in soldiers.

The Government’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) awarded £100,000 to the University’s Occupational Performance Research Group, known as OPRG, who will work in partnership with Cervus Defence Ltd.

The joint project will develop a Physical Activity Capture and Evaluation System (PACES) that will inform musculoskeletal injury prevention in service personnel. It will draw on the OPRG’s expertise in field data-collection and its ability to analyse, synthesise, and present data tailored to the user’s requirements.

OPRG lead Professor Stephen Myers, a Professor of Exercise Physiology at Chichester, said: “Researchers will work with the University’s nearby military unit 16 Regiment Royal Artillery, located at Thorney Island, to collect data in personnel and to carry out a range of activities over an extended period.”

The OPRG delivers scientific research and consultancy to enhance the selection, performance, protection, and health of personnel working within physically demanding occupations, such as the military, emergency services, and industry.