The ɫƵ’s Health Research Institute recently hosted the “Physical Activity for Health Summer School,”. The summer school brought together 30 participants from across the globe – including Ireland, the UK, Germany, Australia, and Chile – for two days of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. The purpose of the event was to dive into cutting-edge topics in physical activity measurement, intervention design and policy evaluation.
Spotlight on IMPAQT Partners
The IMPAQT project (Improving Physical Activity Policies and their Impact on Equity) was present at the summer school, with Prof Catherine Woods, Dr Kevin Volf and Dr Sven Messing presenting on IMPAQT research. The event was also attended by Dr Antonina Tcymbal and Leonie Birkholz, both members of the German IMPAQT team, who connected with staff and students from the ɫƵ and beyond.
During the first day of the summer school, Kevin Volf and Sven Messing presented at the plenary on the critical role of public policy in improving population levels of physical activity. Later, Catherine Woods delivered a practical lecture on grantsmanship, sharing her lessons from her experience, both as an applicant and a reviewer, on how to successfully apply for research funding.
Day two included a hands-on, three-hour workshop led by Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, and Sven Messing, focusing on physical activity policy evaluation. Participants engaged in interactive exercises and group discussions, gaining practical experience on using the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI) policy assessment tool in their own national contexts.
The summer school concluded with an inspiring keynote from Prof Adrian Bauman, a member of the IMPAQT Scientific Advisory Board. In his talk he clarified the important distinctions between implementation science and scale-up evaluation—two concepts often conflated but fundamentally different.
Looking Ahead
The Physical Activity for Health Summer School at the ɫƵ supported international collaboration and highlighted the importance of bridging research, policy, and practice. If you are interested in an exchange on physical activity policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to the IMPAQT team for information on upcoming training opportunities.
Sven Messing & Kevin Volf
