The College of Physical Education and Sport (VŠTVS) Palestra carries out research activities in accordance with the objectives and measures of "Plan for the implementation of the strategic plan of VŠTVS Palestra for the period 2021-2030" and the "Action Plan for the Development of Human Resources for Research, Development and Innovation and Gender Equality in Research, Development and Innovation in the Czech Republic". The direction of VavaI corresponds to the areas of education within which the study programmes are implemented.
The R&D&I area is managed by the school management through The Rector's College a Department of Science and Research, controlled by Vice-Rector for Science and Research. This department cooperates in the processing of international, national and regional research projects, registers R&D&I activities in the information system, collects information on scientific conferences and professional seminars in the Czech Republic and abroad and manages the evaluation system for the evaluation of R&D&I results. The evaluation is carried out within the framework of internal evaluation according to the relevant guidelines of the VŠTVS Palestra and in accordance with the valid Methodology for the evaluation of research organisations and evaluation of programmes of targeted support for research, development and innovation (the so-called Methodology 2017+) approved by Government Resolution No. 107 of 8 February 2017. An important role in R&D&I management is played by Research Council as an advisory body to the Rector for VAVaI and Academic Council of the Palestra University of Technologywhich define the strategy for the management, conceptual direction and support of R&D&I in the areas of basic, applied and contract research.
Priorities and focus of R&D&I
In the period until 2030, the College aims to develop research in the following research areas (the so-called "pillars") as a priority:
- Pillar 1 Resilience and wellbeing in the elderly (guarantor: Milada Krejčí)
Resilience is conceptualized as a dynamic process involving interactions of bio-psycho-social factors that ameliorate the negative effects of stressful life events and promote an individual's successful adaptation and quality of life. The aim is to analyze the determinants of the level of resilience of seniors 65+ in relation to subjectively perceived quality of life. The research also focuses on the determinants of resilience in correlation to mental health status, circadian preferences, sleep habits and exercise preferences. Within this pillar, the international research project GAPA - W/VSP/22/1/I "Development of resilience and wellbeing in seniors 65+" (2022-2027) is addressed.
- Pillar 2 Nutrition (guarantor: Pavel Kysel)
The research focuses on the issue of imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, performance and health promotion in different population groups of athletes and non-athletes, including the context of spa care and the importance of nutrition for the prevention of serious diseases and improvement of quality of life. Alternative nutritional guidelines in sports nutrition are specifically explored. Within this pillar, the research project GAPA W/VSP/211/N 'Research on traditional wellness treatments and the use of regional products in wellness' is addressed.
- Pillar 3 Central motor disorders in children: diagnosis and movement interventions (guarantor: Rudolf Psotta)
The research focuses on two current areas related to movement therapy and education of children with motor difficulties of central origin - delayed motor development, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia) and cerebral palsy:
- validation of appropriate diagnostic tools to determine the nature, extent and severity of motor difficulties, functional abilities (according to the ICF) and cognitive abilities.
- Investigating the effects of different types of motor skills and motor function training based on cognitive (top-down) approaches, on the application of different instructional methods (motor imagery, attention manipulation, etc.) and modern technologies (augmented reality, tablets, iphones) in the above mentioned groups of the child population.
The research project "Digitalization of rehabilitation care for children with movement disorders based on augmented reality" is being solved within this pillar.
- Pillar 4 Cultivation and development of sports environment (guarantor: Tomáš Mirovský)
The task of sports policy of the Czech Republic at all levels is to create conditions for physical activities of the population without distinction of talent, gender, age, origin, religion, but also economic and social status, for organized and unorganized athletes, top, performance and recreational. Therefore, research on the cultivation and development of the sport environment at the PALESTRA University of Technology is targeted to analyze the accessibility of sport for different groups of the population, and the economic and organizational efficiency of management in the sport environment. The main research priority will be the economic and social impact of sporting events. The aim is to work on the design of a clear methodology of this benefit for the Czech Republic, regions, cities, applying the international experience of the partners of VŠTVS PALESTRA and in cooperation with national authorities such as the National Sports Agency. This topic will also be implemented within the activities of the Active Czech Republic Foundation, where VŠTVS PALESTRA is one of the founding members. This is also related to the topic of sports volunteers as a significant component of the sports environment not only in the Czech Republic.
The long-term strategic priority of R&D&I is the support of international cooperation at a high level. Developed cooperation on the basis of bilateral research cooperation agreements is implemented with higher education institutions and leading foreign experts in Japan, Canada, India, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Slovakia. Our intention is to expand research cooperation to other EU countries, the USA and the UK.
An important priority of R&D&I is the regular inclusion of students in research work, thus achieving a high degree of scientific communication with young promising specialists in the fields of wellness, fitness, nutrition and sports diagnostics.
Implementation of R&D&I
In this context, the university implements research projects based on the current needs of society in the field of improving the quality of life and health promotion. The College is open to offers and calls for research work within the framework of basic research at the national level (GAČR) and applied research (TAČR), as well as within the framework of contract research with state, public and private entities in the Czech Republic and abroad, with the subsequent effective transfer of research results into education and further development of science on the principle of open access.
The university has an internal grant agency, GAPA, supporting basic and applied research, as well as the "Society for Research in Wellness", which was founded as an open platform to support quality research and disseminate new scientific knowledge in the field of wellness.
Specifically, the college helps to make research results visible by publishing two scientific journals, "Acta Salus Vitae" (ISSN 1805-8787) and "Diagnostics and Counselling in the Helping Professions" (ISSN 2570-7612). The editors of these journals ensure that published papers are based on research in the spirit of ethical principles of research, with a focus on wellness and health promotion, including health promotion for vulnerable citizens, the elderly and people with disabilities.
The implementation of R&D&I activities is also based on the suggestions of the institutions with which the school cooperates as clinical departments. In addition to academic staff, students of bachelor and master study programmes are also involved in such activities.
The evaluation of R&D&I results is carried out within the framework of internal evaluation in accordance with the valid methodology of the Czech Republic. The indicators of evaluation are the development of research potential and research capacity of the university, its recognition in the national and international research environment, research performance (bibliometrics, citation analysis - WOS, SCOPUS), excellence in research within prestigious international cooperation (e.g. Japan), and in addition to the contribution to knowledge also the social relevance of research results.
The social relevance of R&D&I results is significantly related to the study programmes within which the university provides undergraduate education. The main vision is to educate professionals who provide services or are managers in the areas of health promotion in the context of leisure, sport and the organisation of physical activities, including those oriented towards primary and secondary prevention, with the aim of disseminating the principles and principles of a healthy lifestyle as widely as possible. Therefore, using modern methods, academics and students systematically address the above basic areas (pillars) of research in connection with accredited undergraduate study programmes. In this regard, each academic staff member and student has the opportunity to develop his/her own standards and participate in the conceptual design of new national and international research projects in the field of basic and applied research, funded by public and internal resources of the university.
