Student Section

2025 ISB Student and Postdoc Grants

2025 ISB STUDENT & POSTDOC GRANT NEWS

 

The student grant program deadlines have been updated for 2025. Upcoming grants, including the Matching Dissertation Grant (MDG), International Travel Grant Program (ITG), and International Affiliate Development Grant (IADG), will be accepting applications with a deadline of January 15, 2025. These long-standing student grants offer support to grow your research toolbox, network with a visit to a lab in another country and support the completion of your dissertation project.

The XXX ISB Congress will be in Stockholm, Sweden next summer. The Student Congress Travel Grant is back with a deadline of Jan 31, 2025. These grants will vary in size from $600 USD up to $1200 USD, according to the distance from the Congress city. To be eligible for this grant the student must be first author of the abstract and presenter of the paper at the Congress. At the time of application for the grant you must not have defended your dissertation or concluded your degree program. More details can be found on the ISB website.  

**Attention Postdocs** The ISB will be supporting a postdoc congress travel grant again for 2025! These $500 USD awards may offset costs for registration to the Congress. To be eligible for the award the postdoc must be the first author of the abstract and presenter of the paper at the Congress. The deadline to apply is Jan 31, 2025. More details can be found on the ISB website.  

Friendly reminder: you and your advisor must be active financial members of the ISB to participate in these grant programs. Don’t forget to renew to your membership for 2025! 

 

More details are available at https://isbweb.org/students/student-grants.

 

For questions, please direct your email to Erica Bell, PhD

ISB Executive Council Student Awards Officer

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

**Please note the above email address change**!   

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Recommended Reading by ISB Fellows

 

Recommended Reads

Kindly contributed by the

International Society of Biomechanics Fellows

 

Professor Maarten Bobbert

The following commentary addresses a problem that is pervading the field of human movement science and (clinical) biomechanics:

Chaos in the Brickyard (Forscher, 1963)

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/142/3590/339.1

Two classic papers by Herbert Hatze, whom I consider to be the founding father of modern simulation and optimization studies with musculoskeletal models.  Herbert Hatze was way ahead of his time.

Myocybernetic control model of skeletal-muscle (Hatze, 1977)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00337268

A comprehensive model for human motion simulation and its application to the take-off phase of the long jump (Hatze, 1981)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0021929081900191?via%3Dihub

A paper by Gerrit Jan van Ingen Schenau and Peter Cavanagh, clearly presenting a sound way to calculate power and work in human motion.

Power equations in endurance sports (van Ingen Schenau and Cavanagh, 1990)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2211732

 

Professor Ton van den Bogert

I once told my students that the most important paper in biomechanics is about a jumping lamp.  This 1988 paper was an important proof of concept for trajectory optimization to predict human motion from models:

Spacetime Constraints (Witkin and Kass, 1988)

http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=378507

Winter's mechanical energy paper (1983) is still a very relevant trusted source of information.  This is the inspiration for modern prosthetic devices.  Winter showed that the knee mostly absorbs energy, so can be replaced by a controlled damper, and the ankle must generate a lot of energy so that is where a motor can be helpful. 

Energy generation and absorption at the ankle and knee during fast, natural and slow cadences (Winter, 1983)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6839580

Grood and Suntay's introduction of the Joint Coordinate System.  Thanks to this work, we have a standard way to describe three-dimensional joint rotations.

A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee (Grood and Suntay, 1983)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6865355

He, Levine and Loeb's 1991 paper on optimal feedback control of a cat hind limb is still an inspiring and unique connection between musculoskeletal dynamics and classical control theory.

Feedback gains for correcting small perturbations to standing posture (He, Levine and Loeb, 1991)

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/73565/?reload=true

 

Professor Walter Herzog

In muscle mechanics, the classic manuscripts are a given: 

The sliding filament theory:

Structural changes in muscle during contraction (Huxley and Niedergerke, 1954)

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v173/n4412/abs/173971a0.html

The cross-bridge theory:

Muscle structure and theories of contraction (Butler and Katz, 1957), A. F. Huxley Chpt 6, pg 257-318 https://books.google.com/books?id=NPTPAAAAMAAJ&dq

Proposed mechanism of force generation in striated muscle (Huxley and Simmons, 1971)

https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v233/n5321/abs/233533a0.html

The force length property of muscle:

The variation in isometric tension with sarcomere length in vertebrate muscle fibres (Gordon, Huxley and Julian, 1966)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007909/abstract

The force-velocity relationship:

The heat of shortening and the dynamic constants of muscle (Hill, 1938)

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/126/843/136

 

Professor Jill McNitt-Gray

Kinetics of Human Motion (Zatsiorsky, 2002)

https://books.google.com/books?id=wp3zt7oF8a0C

Kinematics of Human Motion (Zatsiorsky, 1998)

https://books.google.com/books/about/Kinematics_of_Human_Motion.html?id=Pql_xXdbrMcC

Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscle (Zatsiorsky and Prilutsky, 2012)

https://books.google.com/books?id=THXfHT8L5MEC

Biomechanics of sport: a research approach (Miller and Nelson, 1973)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=1425189981&searchurl=sortby%3D17%26an%3DMILLER%252C%2BDoris%2BI%2B%2526%2BNELSON%252C%2BRichard%2BC.

Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement, 4th Edition (Winter, 2009)

https://books.google.com/books?id=_bFHL08IWfwC

 

Professor Peter Milburn

Human mechanics: four monographs abridged (Goff, 1963)

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=AD0600618

This contains abridged versions of four of the 'classic papers' of early biomechanics:

1. Braune, C. W., & Fischer, O. (1889). *Über den Schwerpunkt des menschlichen Körpers: mit Rücksicht auf die Ausrüstung des deutschen Infanteristen*. S. Hirzel. (About the center of gravity of the human body: with regard to the equipment of the German infantryman)
2. Fischer, O. (1906). Theoretical fundamentals for a mechanics of living bodies with special applications to man as well as to some processes of motion in machines. *BG Teubner, Berlin.*
3. Amar, J., Butterworth, E. M., & Wright, G. E. (1920). *The Human Motor, Or,The Scientific Foundations of Labour and Industry: With 309 Illustrations and Numerous Tables*. G. Routledge & sons, Limited.
4. Dempster, Wilfrid Taylor. "Space requirements of the seated operator: geometrical, kinematic, and mechanical aspects of the body, with special reference to the limbs." (1955).

More 'modern day' classics might include:

Direct linear transformation method for three-dimensional cinematography (Shapiro, 1978)

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10671315.1978.10615524

This was the first paper published on the direct linear transformation (DLT) method, the basis of 3D motion capture.  It takes the technique back to 'first principles' so students understand the theory behind the systems currently available. 

Mechanical stability of the in vivo lumbar spine: implications for injury and chronic low back pain (Cholewicki and McGill, 1996)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0268003395000356

This presents a method to quantify the mechanical stability of the lumbar spine in vivo during various 3D dynamic tasks.

 

Professor Darren Stefanyshyn

The following are a series of papers showing early human locomotion inverse dynamics calculations with tremendous insight:

Forces and energy changes in the leg during walking (Elftman, 1939a)

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/ajplegacy/125/2/339.full.pdf

The functions of muscles in locomotion (Elftman, 1939b)

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/125/2/357

The work done by muscles in running (Elftman, 1940)

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/129/3/672.long

A short but though provoking look at the role of elastic energy storage in running, jumping and flying:

Storage of elastic strain energy in muscle and other tissues (Alexander, 1977)

https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v265/n5590/full/265114a0.html

An early review paper on gait energetics from a pioneer in the field:

Calculation and interpretation of mechanical energy of movement (Winter, 1976)

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Citation/1978/00060/CALCULATION_AMD_INTERPRETATION_OF_MECHAMICAL.6.aspx

 

Professor Ronald Zernicke

This paper highlights some of the diverse areas in which "biomechanics impacts society" and the research of five internationally famous biomechanists as the role models. This has proven useful to expose students at the University of Michigan to the breadth and impact of biomechanics, particularly in areas that not everyone associates with "traditional" biomechanics. It may also be useful for other students, around the world, to learn of the diversity of biomechanics.

Impact of biomechanics research on society (Zernicke et al., 2012)

http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/10.1123/krj.1.1.5

 

Complete List

Alexander, R. M. (1977) ‘Storage of Elastic Strain Energy in Muscles and Other Tissues’, Nature, 265, pp. 114–117. doi: 10.1038/265114a0

Butler, J. A. V. and Katz, B. (1957) Progress in biophysics and biophysical chemistry. UK: Pergamon Press, Ltd.

Cholewicki, J. and McGill, S. (1996) ‘Mechanical stability of the in viva lumbar spine: implications for injury and chronic low back pain’, Clinical Biomechanics, 11(1), pp. 1–15. doi: 10.1016/0268-0033(95)00035-6

Elftman, H. (1939a) ‘Forces and energy changes in the leg during walking’, American Journal of Physiology--Legacy Content, 125(2), pp. 339–356.

Elftman, H. (1939b) ‘The function of muscles in locomotion’, American Journal of Physiology--Legacy Content, 125(357–366), pp. 122–123.

Elftman, H. (1940) ‘The work done by muscles in running’, American Journal of Physiology--Legacy Content, 129(3), pp. 672–684.

Forscher, B. K. (1963) ‘Chaos in the Brickyard’, Science, 142(3590), p. 339. doi: 10.1126/science.142.3590.339

Goff, C. W. (1963) ‘Human mechanics. Four monographs abridged.’ Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 22(4).

Gordon, A. M., Huxley, A. F. and Julian, F. J. (1966) ‘The variation in isometric tension with sarcomere length in vertebrate muscle fibres.’, The Journal of Physiology, 184(1), pp. 170–192. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007909

Grood, E. S. and Suntay, W. J. (1983) ‘A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee’, J Biomech Eng, 105(2), pp. 136–144. doi: 10.1115/1.3138397

Hatze, H. (1977) ‘A myocybernetic control model of skeletal muscle’, Biological Cybernetics, 25(2), pp. 103–119. doi:10.1007/BF00337268

Hatze, H. (1981) ‘A comprehensive model for human motion simulation and its application to the take-off phase of the long jump’, Journal of Biomechanics, 14(3), pp. 135–142. doi: 10.1016/0021-9290(81)90019-1       

He, J., Levine, W. S. and Loeb, G. E. (1991) ‘Feedback gains for corecting small pertubation to standing posture’, IEEE trans auto con, 36(3), pp. 322–332. doi: 10.1109/9.73565

Hill, A. V. (1938) ‘The Heat of Shortening and the Dynamic Constants of Muscle’, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 126(843), pp. 136–195. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1938.0050

Huxley, A. F. and Niedergerke, R. (1954) ‘Structural changes in muscle during contraction; interference microscopy of living muscle fibres’, Nature, 173(4412), pp. 971–973. doi: 10.1038/173971a0

Huxley, A. F. and Simmons, R. M. (1971) ‘Proposed mechanism of force generation in striated muscle.’, Nature, 233, pp. 533–538. doi: 10.1038/233533a0

van Ingen Schenau, G. J. and Cavanagh, P. R. (1990) ‘Power equations in endurance sports’, Journal of Biomechanics, 23(9), pp. 865–881. doi: 10.1016/0021-9290(90)90352-4

Miller, D. I. and Nelson, R. C. (1973) Biomechanics of Sport. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.

Shapiro, R. (1978) ‘Direct linear transformation method for 3D cinematography’, Research Quarterly. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 49(2), pp. 197–205.

Winter, D. A. (1976) ‘Calculation and interpretation of mechanical energy of movement’, Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 6(1), pp. 183–256.

Winter, D. A. (1983) ‘Energy generation and absorption at the ankle and knee during fast, natural, and slow cadences’, Clinical orthopaedics and related research, 175, pp. 147–154.

Winter, D. A. (2009) Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement. 4th edn. John Wiley & Sons.

Witkin, A. and Kass, M. (1988) ‘Spacetime constraints’, Proceedings of the 15th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques - SIGGRAPH ’88, 22(4), pp. 159–168. doi: 10.1145/378456.378507

Zatsiorsky, V. M. (1998) Kinematics of Human Motion. Human Kinetics.

Zatsiorsky, V. M. (2002) Kinetics of Human Motion. Human Kinetics.

Zatsiorsky, V. M. and Prilutsky, B. I. (2012) Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles. Human Kinetics.

Zernicke, R. F., Goulet, G. C., Cavanagh, P. R., Nigg, B. M., Ashton-Miller, J. A., Mckay, H. A. and Van Den Bogert, T. (2012) ‘Impact of Biomechanics Research on Society’, Kinesiology Review, 1, pp. 5–16. doi: 10.1123/krj.1.1.5

Hello and Welcome to the International Society of Biomechanics!

Now that you have become a student member, the Executive Council of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB) would like to inform you about all of the resources available to you. The purpose of the ISB is to promote the study of the biomechanics, encourage international contacts among scientists in this field, promote knowledge of biomechanics on an international level, and cooperate with related organizations. As a student member of the ISB you are able to apply for ISB funded grants and awards, participate in mentor opportunities, become a member of the ISB student members Facebook group, and have access to the online forms and discussions available in the Student Section of the ISB website. Here are some of the benefits currently available to you as an ISB student member:

Student Section of the ISB Website

The student section of the ISB website is devoted to providing students with information and resources that may be helpful during your studies. The section contains links to pages within the ISB website that may be of particular interest to students; such as funding sources, online tutorials and lectures, the mentoring program, and job postings. Please visit the student section for more information: https://isbweb.org/students/student-section

Facebook Student Forum

The ISB has Facebook Student Forum which creates an online community to share your experiences and knowledge in biomechanics and ask other students questions! The forum can be used to discuss biomechanics research, search for help with abstract writing and preparing presentations, organize social events at conferences, and share information on anything that has assisted you with your research or writing. Please visit the Facebook student forum for more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157765340908525/

Tutorials and Lectures

The ISB is building a collection of videos of lectures presented at ISB congresses, tutorials and workshops. These can help you learn more about the science and application of biomechanics. Please visit the Tutorials and Lectures web page for more information: https://isbweb.org/activities/videos

Student Grants

Student members of ISB are eligible for the following grants. A number of competitive grants are awarded each year, and in the year of the ISB Congress, a fourth category of award will be available to assist students attend and present at the ISB Congress. Some of the grants include the Matching Dissertation Grant Program, the International Travel Grant Program, The Congress Travel Grant Program, and the International Affiliate Development Grant Program. The deadline to apply for these grants is the end of November. More information can be found on the ISB website at: https://isbweb.org/students/student-grants

Online Mentoring

The ISB is dedicated to promote and facilitate both the academic and personal development of young biomechanists around the world.  In this effort, the ISB Mentoring Program was created to connect students with senior researchers and to establish relationships and share experiences between students in the field. There are two mentoring options available for ISB student members: the Researcher-Student Mentoring Program and the Student-Student Mentoring program. Please visit the ISB website for more information about mentoring: https://isbweb.org/students/mentoring-program

ISB on Facebook

The ISB is on Facebook as a business page, so please “like” it to become our fan! By becoming our facebook fan, you will stay informed with the news and deadline reminders that will be published to your Facebook newsfeed homepage. If you prefer not to sign up for facebook, you can also periodically check the activity of the page by using the previous link. There is also an ISB student member facebook group! To join, search for a group called “International Society of Biomechanics Student Members” and request to join the group.

 

We encourage all students to become involved with the ISB by participating in the benefits available to you as a member and getting involved with ISB projects and initiatives (e.g. affiliated societies, EDC projects). Please visit the ISB website to find more information about ISB Congresses, other conferences and workshops, affiliated societies, our projects for Economically Developing Countries (EDC), and much more. If you have any questions or suggestions about the benefits of being an ISB student member, please contact the ISB student representative, Kirsty McDonald (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Thank you and welcome to the ISB!

 

Andrew Cresswell                               Kirsty McDonald

ISB President                                      Student Representative

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                       This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.