Paul Grimshaw

Paul Grimshaw

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Since completing my PhD in biomedical engineering in 1987 from the University of Salford, UK, I have been lecturing in the areas of biomechanics, anatomy and research methods for the last 30 years. In this context I have worked at three Universities in the United Kingdom (Brunel, Edinburgh and Exeter) and two here in Australia (School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia and currently the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide). My main areas of research have been the topics of injury prevention/mechanism of injury and sports performance/technology in a number of different areas (golf, athletics, low back pain, gait analysis in children and adults and quantitative assessment of human knee instability). At the University of Adelaide I have been the School's Director of Research (2015), the School's Director of Learning and Teaching (for 6 months in 2017 while the current Director was on study leave) and the Program Coordinator for the bachelor of engineering (mechanical and sports) 4-year undergraduate professional degree (2009-2017), which is the first of its kind within Australia (established in 2008). 

 

The following lists the funding opportunities I have had since 1990 both from the UK and Australia. Please note I have also listed unsuccessful category 1 and category 2 funding applications to show that it is difficult to get such funding in Australia in the Biomechanics/Sports Engineering and Technology area.

  • 1990 - 1995  Successful in acquiring a number of capital bids for the area of Biomechanics within West London Institute/Brunel University College, UK to purchase: Kistler Force plate systems, 3-Dimensional Video systems, Isokinetic Dynamometer and EMG Telemetry systems.  Approx (£150,000)
  • 1992 - 1998  UK, Sports Council Funding: £14,938 per annum. SSSP project involving British Athletics Federation: Biomechanical Analysis of Sprint Hurdles.
  • 1993 - 1995  UK, HEFCE grant awarded for the appointment of a Research Fellow to the Hurdles Biomechanics project. £16,835 per annum.
  • 1995 - 1996  Post-Graduate studentship from Brunel University College, UK for a Research Assistant to work on Children’s Gait project. £6220 per annum.
  • 1996  University of Exeter, UK. Small Research Fund Application for a Research Assistant for 2 months for 3-Dimensional Kinematics work on Children’s Gait. £1500.
  • 1996  Laboratory development grant. University of Exeter, UK. £50,000.
  • 1997  Small research grant from University of Exeter to conduct research into low back pain in professional golfers. £1500.
  • 1999  Laboratory development. University of South Australia. $150,000.
  • 2002/2003  Research grant, Workplace services (SA Government) $4000.
  • 2002  Small research grant, Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide $2000.
  • 2006  Channel 7 children’s foundation (with Novitatech) $25,000.
  • 2006  University of South Australia, NHMRC project development grant $10,000.
  • 2007  University of South Australia, Teaching and Learning grant $10,000. Development of an anatomy teaching and learning space business plan.
  • 2010  University of Adelaide, Laboratory Development Funding $200,000
  • 2012  University of Adelaide, ECMS Teaching and Learning award $1000
  • 2012  University of Adelaide, capital equipment funding – 2 x high speed cameras $60,000
  • 2010-2014  Several applications for ARC Discovery Grant and NHMRC research funding (low back pain research) – approx. $240,000 – the area was ruled ineligible for ARC funding in 2013 due to it being medical research ((unsuccessful to date)
  • 2014-2016  Several applications to Defence Science and Technology Network on human performance factors looking at Wireless Body Area Networks (unsuccessful to date)
  • 2015  University of Adelaide, capital equipment funding $50,000
  • 2016  University of Adelaide, capital equipment funding $150,000
  • 1999-2017  Several successful consultancy projects (mainly expert witness reports) $300,000 (approx. $20,000 per year)

Approximate career total (AUS $): 1.6M

In my teaching responsibilities at the University of Adelaide I teach on the Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Sports) honours degree (the BE (Hons) Mech. and Sports degree was established in 2008), which is part of the 4-year professional Mechanical Engineering degree program accredited by Engineers Australia. In this context I teach and have taught on several courses for example: Sports Engineering I and Sports Engineering II, which are concerned with Instrumenting the athlete and equipment and Biomechanical Engineering (muscle and joint loads, artificial joints). In addition, I also supervise a number of final 4th year Engineering honours projects in the areas of Sports Engineering, Sports Technology and Biomechanics for example: the Australian Rules Football Kicking Machine; Table Tennis Playing Robot utilising 3D visual tracking; Diabetes Mellitus – Gait Analysis; Tennis Racket Assessment Device and Tennis Ball Delivery System (several of which have won Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences (ECMS) faculty innovation awards). Finally, at the University of Adelaide I also teach in the School of Medical Sciences on the course Fundamentals of Biomechanics and Human Movement. 

Courses Taught (from 2009 - to date)

Introduction to Sports Engineering – MECH ENG 1104 (year 1)

Sports Engineering I – MECH ENG 2102 (year 2)

Sports Engineering II – MECH ENG 3107 (year 3)

Sports Materials – MECH ENG 3108 (year 3)

Biomechanical Engineering – MECH ENG 4104/7044  (year 4 and Master)

Fundamentals of Biomechanics and Human Movement – HLTH SC 2101 (year 2, School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide)

In 2007, along with three colleagues from the UK, I published an undergraduate textbook for sport and exercise biomechanics. The book entitled: Instant Notes for Sport and Exercise Biomechanics (ISBN 185996284X, 392 pages), was published by Taylor & Francis and is designed as a series of Instant Notes, which are considered as expansions of the lecture notes from 1st and 2nd year core undergraduate teaching. This series entitled: Instant Notes has already proven to be particularly successful in areas such as molecular biology, psychology, and chemistry for biologists. These innovative books provide a structured approach to learning by covering all the important topics in a uniform, systematic format. The text book Instant Notes for Sport and Exercise Biomechanics has already sold over 7500 copies, been reprinted in 2008, translated into two languages in 2010 (French and Polish) and is proving a very useful and popular textbook both across Australia, USA and the United Kingdom.

Between 2011 and 2016, I have had the opportunity to teach biomechanics and ergonomics to engineering students at the University of Halmstad in Sweden (through both physically being in Sweden and through the Adobe Connect system while I am in Australia). This produced a new learning experience for both me as a lecturer, and the Swedish students as undergraduates. For them, they had a native English speaking teacher who could relate complicated concepts in a way used commonly by the majority of the western world and for me, although the students could speak almost perfect English, it was clear that they needed much more time in lectures to respond to my questions, prompting and directions. Once I had realised that the students needed the time to translate my questions into Swedish and then re-translate their answers back into English (and it was a Swedish female engineering student who told me this) I knew that the passion I have for teaching could now effectively transpire across non-native English speaking countries.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 Principal Supervisor Modelling in Biomechanics: Equipment Optimisation for Athletes with a Disability. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Connor John Holdback

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Translational Traction Properties of Soccer Boots Under Various Loading Conditions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Danyon Loud
    2017 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Modelling of Magnetic Fields of Permanent Magnets with Diametrical Magnetization Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Van Tai Nguyen
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Understanding the Aerodynamic Environment in Track Cycling Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Shaun Fitzgerald
    2015 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Three-Dimensional Measurement of Spinal Kinematics and Whole-Body Activity Recognition Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sammuel Aleck Sobey
    2015 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Optimisation of the Rugby Wheelchair for Performance Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr David Scott Haydon
    2015 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Performance Benefits of Customised Seating Interfaces for Elite Wheelchair Racing Athletes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Amy Rebecca Lewis
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