The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.
Founded in 1954, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life. The ACSM national headquarters moved to Indianapolis in 1984, joining organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and national sport-specific governing bodies.
Members of ACSM work in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines, and are committed to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports-related injuries and the advancement of the science of exercise.
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ACSM holds two major conferences each year, dedicated to continuing education for professionals: the Annual Meeting and the Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition. The 2009 Annual Meeting was held in Seattle; 2010 will take place in Baltimore. The 2010 Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition will take place in Austin. Other meetings include roundtable specialty conferences, team physician courses, and regional chapter meetings.
The ACSM Foundation is the fundraising arm of the college. It actively seeks gifts from ACSM’s membership, as well as corporate sponsorship dollars. ACSM relies on the contributions of its members to further its mission. In addition to its fundraising activities, the Foundation maintains several endowments. Most of these endowments make cash awards each year in various areas of sports medicine and exercise science. Each year these endowments grow, fueled by the generosity and commitment of leaders in the study of sports medicine and exercise science. In total, nearly $100,000 in awards is made to ACSM members each year to support research. Many of these award recipients are young investigators making initial contributions to furthering science.
The ACSM Foundation established its Research and Grants program in 1989. The program began with one research initiative in basic and applied science, and awarded a total of $50,000 among five doctoral research students. In 2007, ACSM offered five research initiatives and awarded approximately $80,000 among 15 research students.
ACSM also serves as a certification agency for various health-and-fitness professionals, including certified personal trainers, health/fitness instructors, exercise specialists and registered clinical exercise physiologists. ACSM certifications are largely regarded as some of the most rigorous credentialing programs available today.
ACSM is also a founding organization of the Exercise is Medicine program.
The current ACSM presidential offices are held by:
President: James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM
President-elect: Thomas Best, M.D., Ph.D., FACSM
Immediate past-President: Melinda Millard-Stafford, Ph.D., FACSM