Bournemouth University

School of Tourism

BU academic to serve ESRC Peer Review College

Date: 15 July 2010

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BU Sport academic Richard Shipway

Richard has been invited to serve on the newly established Peer Review College for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

BU Sport academic Richard Shipway has been invited to serve on the newly established Peer Review College for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

An independent organisation, established by Royal Charter, the ESRC funds research and training in social and economic issues, with the majority of funding received through the government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Shipway, Senior Lecturer in Sports Studies from the University’s Centre for Event & Sport Research, was invited to serve on the College as a result of his position as Principal Investigator (PI) leading a current ESRC grant. He will now referee grant proposals for research funding from mid 2010 onwards.

Shipway was awarded an ESRC grant in July 2009 linked to Sport Events and Sport Tourism.

The aim of his project is to explore in greater depth the increasing importance and profile that sport events are currently receiving as an emerging area of research and will continue highlighting synergies across sport, tourism and events.

The project will involve the organisation of a series of international networking events and conferences across four continents during 2010. It will culminate in a final one-day event, hosted by BU’s School of Services Management in November 2010, aimed at imbedding impact and international activity across sport, tourism and events respectively.

Commenting on his proposed appointment Shipway said: “I hope that the experience I gain from being part of such a prestigious initiative will prove beneficial to BU and also lead to involvement in future research projects across the areas of sport, events and tourism respectively.

“My current involvement in an ESRC project has proved to be both challenging and rewarding and I anticipate that this proposed role with the ESRC Peer Review College will continue to help me develop as a researcher.”

Shipway’s recent work has focused on emerging Olympic-related research themes connected with the 2012 Games and linked to this, he was awarded the prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2007 to undertake an Olympic education project in Australia.

Further details of his current sport events project can be found on the Centre for Event and Sport (CESR) website.