Participant Information Sheet - NZ International Student-Athlete (ISA)
Project Title: NZ International Student-Athletes in U.S. Collegiate Sport
Kia Ora,
You are invited to take part in a research study examining the systems and institutional structures surrounding New Zealand athletes in U.S. collegiate sport. Participation is entirely your choice. Please read this Information Sheet carefully before deciding whether to take part.
What is the purpose of this research?
This project is the first systematic examination of New Zealand international student-athletes (NZ-ISAs) in U.S. collegiate sport — across the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and CRAA/NRA governance structures. It investigates the decisions, demands, and institutional structures shaping athlete experience across four phases of the collegiate transition: recruitment, entry, tenure, and exit.
The research takes a systems perspective: it examines the responsibilities held by the multiple actors surrounding the athlete — including NZ sporting organisations, recruitment agents, U.S. collegiate institutions, and support personnel — and how these responsibilities are fulfilled or fall short in practice.
Approximately 60–80 participants are expected across New Zealand and the United States.
This research is conducted as a postdoctoral project under the auspices of Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand (AUT), supported by a Fulbright New Zealand Postdoctoral Research Award (2026/27), and conducted in collaboration with Illinois State University (ISU), Normal, Illinois, U.S.A.
Findings may be used for academic publications, industry reports, and presentations at academic and practitioner events in New Zealand and the United States.
How was I identified and why am I being invited to participate?
You have been invited because your role connects you to NZ student-athletes navigating the U.S. collegiate transition — whether at recruitment, during their time in the system, or at exit and reintegration. You may have been contacted directly by the researcher, reached through a network connection, or identified through a NZ sporting or institutional contact.
This interview is open to:
NZ sporting organisation staff with responsibility for athlete pathways or high-performance.
Recruitment agents and managers working with NZ athletes on the collegiate pathway.
U.S. collegiate coaches and student-athlete support staff who have worked with NZ athletes.
NZ school advisors connected to athlete recruitment.
Parents of NZ athletes navigating the collegiate transition
How do I agree to participate?
If you would like to take part, please contact the researcher using the details at the end of this sheet. You will be sent a Consent Form to complete before the interview takes place.
Your participation in this research is voluntary — it is your choice — and whether you choose to participate will neither advantage nor disadvantage you. You can withdraw from the study at any time by informing the researcher. If you withdraw, information collected up until your withdrawal will continue to be used to protect the quality of the research, unless you request that it be deleted. You can withdraw your data up to 45 days following your interview, after which your data will have been deidentified and withdrawal will no longer be possible. You can also choose not to answer any question during the interview without affecting your participation. If you consent to your contact details being retained, these will be stored separately from your interview data and used only for follow-up clarification or to facilitate longitudinal contact at a later stage of the project.
What will my participation involve?
You are invited to take part in a one-to-one interview with the researcher. The interview will take approximately 45–60 minutes and will be conducted in person or via Microsoft Teams, according to your preference. For in-person interviews, the location will be a suitable place of your choosing. In selecting a location, we ask that you consider both your own comfort and safety, and the need for a reasonable degree of privacy given the personal nature of the conversation.
The interview is conversational. You will be invited to describe your role and its relationship to NZ international student-athletes, share your perspective on what the system provides and where gaps exist, and reflect on what athletes need across the transition. There are no right or wrong answers — the interview is guided by your experience and your professional perspective.
Interview themes may include:
your role and its relationship to NZ athletes on the collegiate pathway.
what support structures exist and how effectively they function.
where you see gaps, misalignments, or systemic pressures.
what you would recommend to improve outcomes for NZ athletes.
With your consent, the interview will be audio-recorded using Vibe, an AUT-approved AI-assisted transcription tool. The recording will be transcribed and then deleted. You will be identified by a pseudonym throughout all analysis and reporting.
What are the benefits?
There is no direct benefit to you from participating. The broader benefit is to the NZ collegiate athlete community and to the organisations that support them: this research will produce evidence-based findings and resources that can inform better practice across all actor groups in the pathway.
What are the costs?
Participation will require approximately 45–60 minutes of your time for the interview. There are no financial costs to participating.
Will the results of the study be published?
The findings of this research will be published in academic journals and presented at academic and practitioner events in New Zealand and the United States. Results will also be included in industry reports for NZ sporting organisations and U.S. collegiate institutions. You will not be identifiable in any publication or report.
What are the discomforts and risks?
The interview is low risk. Some topics — including institutional decisions, system gaps, or organisational practice — may be sensitive in your professional context. You are under no obligation to discuss anything you are not comfortable sharing, and your participation will be managed with respect for your professional position and relationships.
The research is not an audit or evaluation of individuals or organisations. It is a scholarly examination of the systems surrounding NZ student-athletes, in which your perspective is one of several contributing to the overall picture. Data from these interviews will be reported at a level of generality that protects individual identification while preserving the analytical value of the findings.
What will happen to information about me?
Your interview data is individually identifiable at the point of collection (your voice will be recorded). Following transcription, the recording will be deleted. You will be assigned a pseudonym, and your specific role, organisation, or circumstances will be generalised where they could lead to identification in analysis and reporting.
Data will be stored securely on password-protected, institution-approved platforms at AUT and ISU, in accordance with AUT and ISU research data management policies. The list linking your name to your pseudonym will be kept separately from your data and accessible only to the researcher and supervisor. All data will be retained for a minimum of six years following publication.
Only consented interview data will be directly quoted in publications and reports. Where a direct quote could identify you despite your pseudonym, the researcher will make reasonable efforts to seek your confirmation before use, if you have indicated this preference on the Consent Form.
It is important to be aware that in small or well-known professional communities, limited confidentiality applies — this will be discussed with you openly before you consent.
Your information will only be used for this research project. Identifiable information will not be disclosed outside of the research team without your permission, or as required by law. You have the right to request access to your information held by the research team, and to request that any information you disagree with is corrected.
Use of AI tools
Vibe (an AUT-approved AI-assisted tool) will be used to transcribe your interview recording. All transcripts will be reviewed and verified by the researcher before use. The recording will be deleted following verified transcription. No identifiable participant data will be entered into any AI platform beyond this transcription tool.
What opportunity do I have to consider this invitation?
You are encouraged to take at least two weeks to consider whether you would like to take part. There is no obligation to decide immediately. If you have any questions before deciding, please contact the researcher using the details below.
Will I receive feedback on the results of this research?
Yes. If you request a summary of the research findings on your Consent Form, the researcher will send this to you on completion of the study. Please indicate your preference on the Consent Form.
Who do I contact for further information or concerns about this research?
Any concerns regarding the nature of this project should be notified in the first instance to the Project Supervisor.
AUTEC Authority
Executive Secretary of AUTEC | Email: ethics@aut.ac.nz | Phone: (+649) 921 9999 ext. 6038
Researcher:
Dr Pip Thomas | Postdoctoral Researcher, AUT | pip.gthomas@aut.ac.nz |
Supervisor:
Dr Simon Walters | Auckland University of Technology, NZ | simon.walters@aut.ac.nz | +64 9 921 9999
Authority
Approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on 23 June 2026.
AUTEC Reference number 26/147