About the Centre for Sport in Society

The Centre for Sport in Society brings together academics and PhD researchers from across Ulster University who conduct social scientific research on sport from a range of single and interdisciplinary perspectives. This research explores a wide range of themes and issues associated with the cultural, political, social, economic and historical import of sport in a variety of local, national and international contexts including the UK and Ireland and across Europe, west Africa, the Middle East and North America.

Staff within the CSS are internationally recognised for their research on: sport and national identity; sport and gendered identities; sports labour migration; online hate in football; disability sport and inclusion/exclusion, physical culture, children’s rights in sport, sports policy, the management and governance of sport, sports gambling, coaching, brain injury in sport, parental support in sport, and sport and mental health.

Our work has been supported by funding from a range of prestigious sources including the Economic and Social Research Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy; charities such as UNICEF UK and Special Olympics Ireland; and governmental departments and funders including the Special EU Programmes Body, Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy and the Government of Ireland, North-South Research Programme.

Reflecting our commitment to applied research with real world impact, we have conducted funded research and collaborated with a wide range of national and international sports governing bodies and key stakeholders including: the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA); the Fédération de Internationale Football Associations (FIFA); the Internal Olympic Committee (IOC); the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), World Rally Championship, the Automobile Touring Club-UAE, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Irish Football Association, Sport Northern Ireland and Sport Ireland.

Academics within CSS have published a number of influential research monographs in recent years, winning awards including the Gale/CENGAGE Prose Award; Common Ground Research Networks Publishers; Honourable mention for the North American Sociology of Sport Association Outstanding Book Award; shortlisting for the British Society for Sports History Lord Aberdare Literary Prize.

The profile and reputation of Ulster in the social scientific study of sport is also evidenced through its hosting of a number of major international conferences in recent years such as: the European Association for Sport Management (2023); The British Psychological Association (Sport) Annual Conference (2024); the Football Collective Annual Conference (2025) and the British Society for the History of Sport Annual Conference (2025).

CSS members are regularly sought out by media outlets locally, nationally and internationally for comment on topical issues in sport. There has been considerable media interest in our research leading to its dissemination in a wide range of media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian/Observer in the UK; RTE, Newstalk FM, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Irish News and Irish Times in Ireland; NBC Sports, the Boston Globe and the Washington Post in the US; and a range of international broadcasters and newspapers such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Der Spiegel (Germany), El Mercurio (Chile), Maroc-Hebdo (Morocco).