SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 today, as part of its continued investment in its Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being Initiative (SAHWBI), announced final findings for several funded-research projects as well as new research projects selected for funding for the 2022 grant cycle. In addition, Pac-12 SAHWBI also announced additional details for its next special event, the Pac-12 Health Equity Summit set for January 2023 at UCLA. More information, including registration, for the Pac-12 Health Equity Summit is available here.  

Created in 2013, the Pac-12 SAHWBI is a collective effort between the Pac-12 and all 12 member universities to find ways to reduce injuries, share best practices and latest studies, and conduct research aimed at continuing to improve the mental and physical health and general well-being of student-athletes.

The Pac-12 Health Equity Summit, titled “Race, Gender, Identity and Accessibility Matters in Collegiate Athlete Health,” is scheduled for January 26-27, 2023 at UCLA. The two-day conference will bring together student-athletes, researchers, and clinicians from across the Pac-12 footprint in order to cultivate discussions for creating more inclusive environments for supporting the healthcare of diverse and underrepresented student-athletes, both now and in the future. The summit’s examination of healthcare delivery through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continues the Pac-12's work to enhance the medical welfare of its diverse student-athlete population. 

As a special event, the 2023 Health Equity Summit continues the Pac-12 SAHWBI’s efforts to provide new opportunities for advancing discussions in key areas related to student-athlete health and well-being. In past years, the Pac-12 also hosted special summits focused on concussions in 2017 as well as mental health in 2020. The initiative also hosts the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Healthcare Conference annually, which returned in-person in May 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The grants program has contributed millions of dollars in research grants for projects at Pac-12 institutions and continues to further the conference’s efforts of being at the forefront of advancements in healthcare research and technology. 

The SAHWBI Board approved funding for two projects in the 2022 grant cycle, including: 

Summaries of recently completed research projects that have been funded by the Pac-12 be found below:

Pac-12 Student-Athlete Research and Travel Awards