With the Rio Olympics fast approaching, Sunshine Coast people have the opportunity to get an insider’s look at what is involved in preparing athletes to compete at the highest level of sport.

Six leading University of the Sunshine Coast sports researchers will present a free public seminar, ‘Sunshine Coast to Rio De Janeiro: The Pathway for High Performance Sport’, at USC’s Innovation Centre from 5.30pm on Wednesday 13 July.

USC has timed the event to finish at 7pm to give fans a sporting chance of getting home well before the third State of Origin kicks off on television.

It is one of two public seminars to be held during the 2016 USC Research Conference from Monday 11 July to Thursday 14 July.

The second, ‘Cybercrime and you – when bad things happen to your good name’, will be presented by Senior Research Fellow Dr David Lacey from 6pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday 12 July.

The conference will use multiple formats to showcase a variety of latest findings based on years of research and diverse interests.

Formats will include talks, workshops, posters and two fast and furious speaking competitions involving USC staff and Higher Degree by Research students on Thursday 14 July.

Seven students will contest the Three Minute Thesis event from 10.15am. Topics range from the use of technology in early childhood education to the effect of fans on video games.

Fourteen staff will do battle in A Minute To Win It from 11.15am, where they must convey ideas in informal, amusing ways. Issues range from coastal ecosystems to childhood play to disease diagnoses.

Media are welcome to attend the entertaining speaking competitions at the USC Innovation Centre on Thursday 14 July from 10.15am to 12pm when awards are presented.

Keynote speakers from universities in Canada, Sydney and Brisbane will be part of the annual four-day conference, themed ‘Local Research, Global Impact’.

A Lunchtime Innovation Challenge from 12.30pm on Wednesday will set teams the task of generating the most innovative research idea to investigate a problem with global implications. The catch is that the idea must be inspired by a random object assigned to each team.

For details go to 2016 University Research Conference.

— Julie Schomberg