Short communication Can research align with service? Lessons learned from the Big Experiment and National Biomechanics Day S.P. Shultz a,b,⇑ , C. Hughes-Oliver c , D. Wells d , K. Sheerin d , P.W. Fink a , G.G. Handsfield e , K. Hébert-Losier f , J. Clarke g , R.M. Queen c a School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, New Zealand b Kinesiology Department, Seattle University, Seattle, WA, USA c Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA d Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand e Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand f Faculty of Health, Sport and Human Performance, University of Waikato, Adams Centre for High Performance, Tauranga, New Zealand g School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand article info Article history: Accepted 9 March 2019 Keywords: Educational outreach Adolescent Physical fitness abstract Public engagement is an important role for the university academic, but is often neglected due to per- ceived lack of time and prioritized commitments in research and teaching. Yet, public engagement events offer an untapped opportunity for researchers to collect data from members of the general public who arrive on site at university labs. These engagement events could allow for data collection as part of didac- tic and demonstrative outreach events to be used in research and science. In this proof of concept study, a collaborative group of international researchers investigated the feasibility of embedding research qual- ity assessment into events surrounding National Biomechanics Day. The Big Experiment collected data on 501 secondary school students (age range: 13 to 18 years) across 9 university sites within a 24-hour per- iod. Data included maximal vertical jump height and self-reported physical activity levels. Vertical jump height was positively correlated to participant height, but not age or body mass. Very physically active students had significantly higher vertical jump heights than individuals who reported being somewhat or not physically active. This feasibility project demonstrates that with substantial preparation and a sim- ple research design, focused research questions can be incorporated into educational outreach initiatives and ultimately provide a rich data source. Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction A main barrier to public engagement is a perceived lack of time, and the low priority of public engagement when compared to teaching and research responsibilities (Ecklund et al., 2012). Despite these perceptions, research has shown that academics who are involved in public engagement have a higher bibliographic index than non-engaged colleagues (Jensen et al., 2008). Devonshire and Hathway (2014) proposed a model for scientific engagement that provided more efficient and effective ways to incorporate teaching and research into this service component. One of the approaches suggested that researchers incorporate experimental science into classroom-based activities, so that engagement also includes research quality outcomes that can bet- ter serve the academic community. National Biomechanics Day seeks to expand awareness of biomechanics among youth through coordinated worldwide events (DeVita, 2018). As part of National Biomechanics Day, nine university sites in New Zealand and the United States collaborated to develop The Big Experiment (TBE). Using a similar approach to engagement proposed by Devonshire and Hathway (2014), the col- laborators sought to understand the feasibility of incorporating a multi-site testing protocol within an established outreach pro- gram. TBE focused on outcome measures of physical activity levels and physical fitness; specifically, the use of questionnaires and a counter-movement jump provided simple parameters for assess- ing physical fitness and function. The project had a two-fold pur- pose: (1) to gather research quality data across multiple sites to increase sample size and more robustly answer research questions, and (2) to engage students in science through practical experience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.03.006 0021-9290/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author at: 901 12 th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, USA. E-mail address: shultzsarah@seattleu.edu (S.P. Shultz). Journal of Biomechanics 87 (2019) 202–205 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Biomechanics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jbiomech www.JBiomech.com