About the Centre
The Sport Industry Research Centre was founded in 1996 by two internationally renowned economists in the fields of sport and leisure, Professor Chris Gratton and Professor Peter Taylor.
Chris and Peter have continued as directors of SIRC, whilst Professor Simon Shibli, as head of the centre, oversees its day to day operation and the 14 full time research staff.
In recognition of the Centre's credentials in economics, Sport England appointed SIRC as a collaborating centre on the economics of sport.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise SIRC, along with other relevant researchers at the University, contributed to the fourth highest ranked submission out of 39 in the 'Sports Related Studies' unit of assessment. Furthermore, 75 per cent of the University's submission in this area was rated as international standard (from the 31 researchers included).
SIRC's international work is exemplified by its role as a lead partner in an international project, conducting research on sports policy factors leading to international sporting success, with colleagues in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada and Norway.
Peter Taylor is editor of Managing Leisure: An International Journal and Chris Gratton and Simon Shibli are referees for various sport and leisure related journals. SIRC staff are always well represented at the European Association for Sport Management conference at which the centre enjoys a good reputation for disseminating the results of its primary research.
Sheffield Hallam University is not responsible for the content of external websites
