The national governing body will be partnering with 15 member universities to pilot the Healthy Campus Programme, carried out by sport delivery agents on campus with the support of UniSport Australia.

The programme is aimed at increasing the physical activity and engagement of staff and students on and off campus.

Competition for this funding was said to be intense with Sport Australia receiving more than 480 applications requesting approximately AUD$86 million (£47 million/$61 million/€54 million).

Among the 15 universities which will be involved in the pilot programme are the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

"We are thrilled to report that both UWA and ACU were also successful in their applications so congratulations all round," a UniSport Australia statement reads.

Also involved in the pilot programme will be the University of Canberra, Federation University, University of Queensland, University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, Central Queensland University, University of South Australia, Macquarie University, Southern Cross University, Curtin University, University of Southern Queensland, Deakin University and the University of Adelaide.

In February, UniSport Australia's new chief executive Mark Sinderberry warned in an open letter that the organisation needed to "continually find ways to drive value" to their members. 

Sinderberry wrote the letter to mark spending nearly 100 days in his role. 

He became chief executive last December, replacing Don Knapp who had spent 11 years in the position.