19 Nov 2021 – The IOC Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has launched the ninth edition of the Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme, which aims to enrich the discourse on key issues the IOC is looking to address.

The programme was created in 2014 to promote academic research on priority topics for the IOC, with a humanities or social sciences perspective. In the recently launched 2022/2023 edition, 19 priority fields of research have been identified by the IOC, including important topics such as athletes’ mental health, the Olympic Movement’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and initiatives by sports organisations to improve women’s access to administration and governance roles.

“Creating this programme eight years ago, with the idea of fostering a closer collaboration between researchers and the IOC and providing a regular platform for established researchers to contribute to the IOC’s knowledge on priority topics, was not easy,” said Maria Bogner, the Head of the OSC. “But the growing number of topics identified by the IOC and applications received, and the results the projects have produced, demonstrate how positively the programme is being received by both the academic community as well as the IOC.”  

The Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme contributes to enriching the study of, and dialogue on key issues that the IOC is looking to address, and further nourishes discussions around the implementation of certain IOC strategies and programmes through research, analysis and recommendations by academic experts.https://www.youtube.com/embed/AqBOv5Zu2kI?rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenewsmarket.com

“We are excited to launch this new edition and look forward to seeing the response from academic researchers to the proposed topics, and receiving the submissions ” said Nuria Puig, Manager of the External Relations and Academic Programmes Section of the OSC. “We hope that the range and number of topics will generate interest among academics with different areas of expertise, such as sociology, sports psychology, economics, communications, cultural studies and management.”

Applications can be submitted by university professors, lecturers and research fellows who have completed their doctorate and who currently hold an academic/research appointment or affiliation covering the period of the grant. Once received, the projects undergo a clearly defined review and selection process, which involves a blind peer reviewer process, an assessment by members of the relevant IOC departments, as well as by the OSC Grant Selection Committee, which is composed of academics who are renowned for their involvement in Olympic studies. The process is designed to allow the selection of projects that can provide the most relevant analysis for the IOC’s programmes and activities, and also to guarantee the highest academic quality.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the researchers, applicants and grant-holders, who, from the first edition of the Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme, have made a significant contribution to making this programme a success through their proposals and research,” added Bogner.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31 January 2022. The OSC will validate the final selection of applications to be awarded a grant, based on the recommendations of the Selection Committee in May 2022, and will inform the applicants of the results in June 2022. The successful applicants will receive a grant of up to USD 20,000 to help them carry out their projects in coordination with the relevant IOC departments.