AUT SPRINZ story

The AUT Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ) is world leading in sport and human performance research, education and industry engagement.

Its focus on applied sport and human performance research makes it unique in the world.

Located at AUT Millennium

AUT, SPRINZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand are all based at AUT Millennium; sharing resources and collaborating on joint projects. The organisations within AUT Millennium also provide a test bed and connections for sport leadership and management, coaching, and human performance research.

An innovative research campus

This set-up is different from most other universities, offering a great platform for industry engagement and creating a postgraduate research campus where more than 100 postgraduate students conduct applied sport science, leadership and management, coaching and human performance research.

The large student community makes it easy to share innovative ideas and thinking.

Enabling diversity in research

Because AUT Millennium attracts a diverse sample of the community, including regional and national sport organisations, athletes and community, all training in the same place, AUT SPRINZ researchers have access to elite and semi-elite athletes, developmental athletes, as well as a wide range of gym users of all ages and abilities. It’s also adjacent to one of the largest secondary schools in New Zealand.

Strong industry links

Industry engagement is a hallmark of AUT’s programmes, with 140 collaborations in 25 countries and global partnerships in a number of countries including the US, Australia, UK, Malaysia and Germany.

SPRINZ receives up to NZ$500,000 of industry funded scholarships each year and many of our postgraduate students are working on research in collaboration with our many industry partners.

Key partnerships for SPRINZ

New Zealand industry partners include:

• High Performance Sport New Zealand
• Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
• Sport New Zealand
• New Zealand Rugby
• New Zealand Rugby League
• Sport Physiotherapy New Zealand
• Aktive Sport and Recreation

University collaborations include:

• Victoria University, Melbourne
• Swansea University, Wales
• German Sport University, Germany
• Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales

World ranked for sport science

• Ranked in the top 30 in the world for sports by QS and in the top 50 by the Shanghai Ranking
• A five-star university, with five stars for Teaching, Employability, Research, Internationalisation, Environmental Impact, Facilities and Sports (specialist subject) – QS World University Rankings