Sports science: sports science research projects

Academy of Finland to launch new programme to increase impact of sport science

The responsibility for awarding government grants for sport science research will transfer from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture to the Academy of Finland. The amendment to Act on the Promotion of Sports and Physical Activity, which entered into force in February 2023, will simplify matters by making the application, review and decision process the responsibility of a single organisation. The new Academy Programme’s first call for applications will close on
​​​​​​​17 January 2024.

The Academy of Finland will open an annual call for applications within the Academy Programme for Sport Science as part of the Academy’s winter call. Applications to the programme will undergo international peer review together with other applications submitted to the Academy.

The Finnish Parliament has set sport policy objectives, which the government grants process for sport science research should implement to the best possible extent. To this end, the Academy of Finland and the Ministry of Education and Culture will continue to work together to finance sport science research and develop operations.

Inquiries

• Strategy for knowledge-based management of physical activity
• Sports science – Academy of Finland
• Academy of Finland application schedules
• Sara Illman, Senior Science Adviser, Academy of Finland, tel. +358 295 33 5119, [email protected]
• Samuli Rasila, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 295 330 057, [email protected]

Further research projects
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A special grant has been designed for financing further sport science research projects that were awarded funding by the Ministry of Education and Culture for 2022 or 2023 and have received a conditional decision on further funding for 2024.  The financing will be awarded in the form of a special grant.

Regarding further sport science research projects, the Ministry of Education and Culture will make government grant decisions based on the amounts reserved during the first year of financing and on the project’s progress.

In order for the applicant to receive further funding, Parliament must allocate sufficient appropriations to sport science research and the research must have progressed as planned. The application must contain an account of the progress made in the research and a description of any changes that may have taken place in the project.

Applicants will be able to access the call for applications in October 2023 using the Ministry's e-service. The call for applications will be published online.