From March to May 2026, Community Sport Research Group member Sarah Dunbar spent nine weeks at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, as a recipient of a Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Working with Dr. Mary Woessner and the Safe and Inclusive Sport Research Group, Sarah immersed herself in an international research environment focused on safe sport, safeguarding, and sport governance.
During her fellowship, Sarah led the analysis and manuscript development for a study examining the role of mandatory reporters in child abuse prevention in community sport. She also co-authored the 10th edition of the STEPS for Safe Sport newsletter, A Tale of Two Countries: Fragmented Governance and Safeguarding in Community Sport, comparing Canadian and Australian approaches to sport governance and safeguarding.
Beyond her research activities, Sarah completed trauma-informed research training and developed connections with researchers across sport management, sport history, and sport policy. The experience strengthened her confidence as a researcher, broadened her understanding of safeguarding, and helped establish international relationships that will support future collaboration and knowledge exchange.
