Projects selected for funding under RCF programme on sport science

The aim of the Research Council of Finland’s research programme ACTIVE is to advance the quality, innovativeness and impact of research on sport and physical activity. In the programme’s latest round of applications, the RCF awarded a total of 2.43 million euros in funding to three individual projects and two consortia. The programme’s call attracted 36 applications. The funding applied for totalled nearly 18 million euros.

The funded projects will look into topics such as the power of music in sport and physical activity and helping children with motor challenges improve their motor skills, health-related fitness and psychosocial wellbeing. Funding was also granted for research that will improve coaches’ nutrition and body composition knowledge and the coach-athlete relationship. The aim is to apply the results of the research projects to junior sports, children and schoolchildren and competitive sports, as well as physical activity and sports more broadly.

The international peer review panel that reviewed the applications praised the ideas and concepts presented in the applications. However, they called for more cooperation between research teams to achieve the highest possible quality in the implementation of ideas. The panel also considered that it would be good to receive applications from a wider range of disciplines.

The Academy Programme for Sport Science and Physical Activity aims to produce research-based knowledge to contribute to increasing understanding and creating solutions to societal and public health challenges related to physical activity and sports. The programme generates new knowledge to promote physical activity by directing funding to high-quality and innovative sport science research. The research knowledge can contribute to promoting conditions for a physically active lifestyle and for equality as well as for increasing participation in physical activity and sports and improving results and responsibility in performance sports.

The programme opens funding calls on an annual basis. The Research Council of Finland and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture jointly fund and develop sport science research in accordance with the sport policy objectives set by the Finnish Parliament.