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More than 40 years ago, few people in Australia had heard of sport science.

But UWA graduate, WAFL champion and State cricketer Frank Pyke knew it was the way of the future.

He began his academic career in the US, returning to Australia to take the helm of sport science, sports administration and elite athlete development in this country for more than 30 years.

Frank died of motor neurone disease late in 2011 and UWA has established the Frank Pyke Memorial Scholarship Fund to honour the man who pioneered the discipline of sport science, capping off a stellar academic career with the inaugural executive directorship of the Victorian Institute of Sport.

The scholarship is for an outstanding Honours student in the School of Sport Science Exercise and Health. It was presented for the first time this month to Kirsty McDonald, at a ceremony which brought together Frank's former colleagues, his family, the academics and athletes whose careers benefitted from his work and the patrons who donated to ensure the scholarship is enduring.

Kirsty's Honours project, supervised by Assistant Professor Jonas Rubenson,  is in biomechanics.  She is investigating the differences in energy transfer between forefoot and rearfoot runners, with the results likely to have application to both distance running performance and injury risk.

She is a State representative in women's Gaelic football and coaches women's soccer at junior level.

The scholarship carries a stipend of $4,000 with an additional $1,000 for travel expenses which Kirsty hopes to use to present the results of her research to a conference in biomechanics.

Her scholarship was presented by Frank's widow Janet, supported by their son Don, a former West Coast Eagles player.