About TRU
The TRU is a network of multidisciplinary international experts who investigate ways to optimise the physical and cognitive capabilities, and safety of tactical personnel – whether military, law enforcement, firefighters, or first responder organisations.
Comprised of academic researchers and personnel who have served in tactical professions, the TRU provides the critical transfer of scientific evidence to pragmatic application across tactical, operational, and strategic management levels. Using a bespoke 'Trident Approach' the TRU engage with academics, industry and end-users to ensure research has real world outcomes.
The TRU is nested within Bond University’s Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, which received the highest possible ranking of ‘well above world standard’, and ‘at world standard’ for human movement and sports science, from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in its Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA).
The overarching aim of the group is to improve the fitness, health, wellbeing and occupational performance of those who serve and ensure new research findings are shared across the different tactical populations.
Services
The TRU provides services to government, industry, academic and private institutions. These include research projects, consultancy reports and educational and training packages.
Since 2015, the TRU team has conducted research across multiple tactical agencies covering initial training through to specialist selection and rehabilitation.
Consultancy projects have included the development of evidence-based, tactically viable, reports to inform multiple agencies and the generation of injury management, assessments, and conditioning optimization frameworks.
Education and training services use the latest research evidence and practical experience to provide workshops, courses or longer programs to tactical personnel as well as their support staff, such as physiotherapists, physical training instructors, and strength and conditioning coaches.
Latest news
Aerobic Fitness wins again
Recent analysis of a specialist riot police training program led by Dr Ben Schram again highlighted aerobic fitness as the strongest predictor of successful course completion. Officers with higher initial shuttle run scores had substantially greater likelihood of finishing, with modelling showing clear probability thresholds:
Meeting the minimum standard ~60% probability of completion
+4 shuttles above minimum ~70% probability
+9 shuttles above minimum ~80% probability
+17 shuttles above minimum ~90% probability
Strength and power also emerged as important contributors to occupationally relevant performance under load, with explosive lower‑body ability and upper‑body force production showing the strongest associations.
Interestingly, demographic characteristics did not predict outcomes. Age, height, weight, and sex had no meaningful influence once physical performance was accounted for.
These findings reinforce a simple operational truth - start with aerobic fitness!
European Police Trainer Conference
Privileged to present at the European Police Trainer Conference in Nuremberg on Human-Systems integration and its critical link to fitness. Great to collaborate with the hosts, Polizeitrainer in Deutschland e.V. at this event that was held in conjunction with Enforce Tac.
Upcoming events
There are currently no scheduled events.
