The COPE Center is forming a collaborative research team to support the refinement, validation, and applied use of the Sport Injury–Illness and Rehabilitation–Recovery Intake Questionnaire (SIRIQ), which is a comprehensive assessment tool originally developed by Dr. Erdner to enhance the intake process for mental performance consultants working with injured-ill clients that are navigating the sport and performance settings. This project is designed to:

  • Advance scholarly and applied understanding of injured and ill clients across sport, performance, and health contexts

  • Strengthen the psychometric, clinical, and practical utility by offering an intake questionnaire to better conceptualize injured-ill client cases

  • Foster student and early-career researcher development in applied research, ethics, and client-centered assessment

Funding & Financial Support (Pending)

The COPE Center is preparing to submit an application to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Collaborative Research Grant.

  • Important Note: Participation in this research team may include financial support for students and collaborators if and only if grant funding is awarded. The scope and form of support will be determined by the terms of the grant and project needs. Team members are welcome to participate in the grant application process, providing opportunities to develop skills in research funding acquisition and scholarly proposal development. The application is due April 1, 2026 (no fools!).

Theoretical Foundations

The SIRIQ is informed by established, evidence-based frameworks in the psychology of injury and rehabilitation, including:

  • Revised Stress–Injury Model (Williams & Andersen, 1998)

  • Multilevel Model of Sport Injury (Wadey et al., 2018)

  • Biopsychosocial Model of Sport Injury Rehabilitation (Brewer et al.. 2002)

Team members will engage deeply with these models to ensure the SIRIQ reflects current theory, research, and best practice.

What the Research Team Will Do

Participants will be actively involved in all phases of the research process, including:

  • Scholarly Foundations

    • Conduct literature reviews related to injury–illness psychology, rehabilitation–recovery, assessment design, and client-centered care

    • Critically evaluate existing intake and screening tools used in sport, performance, and health contexts

  • Instrument Development & Refinement

    1. Participate in structured focus groups to evaluate and fine-tune the SIRIQ

    2. Provide feedback on clarity, cultural responsiveness, clinical relevance, and theoretical alignment

  • Applied Research and Client Engagement

    • Support pilot implementation of the SIRIQ with injured and/or ill clients (under appropriate ethical and professional supervision)

    • Assist in assessing usability, applicability, and practitioner/client feedback

  • Professional Development

    • Gain experience in applied research ethics, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, and transdisciplinary collaboration

    • Contribute to scholarly products (e.g., manuscripts, presentations, conference submissions, and professional reports)

Who Should Apply

This opportunity is ideal for:

  • Graduate or advanced undergraduate students in sport psychology, psychology, kinesiology, rehabilitation sciences, nursing, athletic training, physical therapy, counseling, or related fields

  • Aspiring candidates or current Certified Mental Performance Consultants® (CMPC)

  • Emerging or current professionals interested in injury–illness, rehabilitation–recovery, and client-centered assessment

What You’ll Gain

  • Hands-on experience in collaborative, applied research

  • Mentorship in scholarly writing, ethical research practice, and professional presentation

  • Potential financial support (pending grant funding)

  • Opportunities for authorship and conference participation (based on contribution and project outcomes)

  • Professional networking within a transdisciplinary research and practice community

Time Commitment & Structure

While there are no hard deadlines other than the grant application, which is April 1, 2026 (no fools!), the project timelines and workload will be shared following grant submission and funding decisions as AASP “grants are awarded for a one-year time frame beginning July 1, 2026. Funds will be released once evidence of institutional ethical approval for the project has been received by the AASP.” Participation may include:

  • Virtual meetings and focus groups

  • Independent literature review and writing

  • Collaborative data analysis and discussion sessions

Research Team Lead

Dr. Erdner, PhD, CMPC
Founder & CEO, The COPE Center
Clinical Associate Professor of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, Adams State University
Adjunct Professor of Sport & Performance Psychology, University of Western States

Interested?

If you are interested in joining this research team, please complete the interest form and be prepared to share:

  • Your academic or professional background

  • Your interest in injury–illness and rehabilitation–recovery

  • Relevant research, clinical, or applied experience

  • Your availability and professional goals