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 the application and review process by making it entirely the responsibility of a single organisation. To this end, the Academy of Finland will launch a new Academy Programme for sport science. The first funding call of the new programme will be part of the Academy’s winter 2024 call.

The Academy of Finland is preparing to launch a new Academy Programme with a view to advancing the quality, renewal and impact of research in sport science by making use of the Academy's research funding and programme services. The aim of the programme is to generate new knowledge to promote physical activity by directing funding to high-quality, innovative and multidisciplinary sport science research.

Riitta Maijala, Vice President for Research, said: “Sport science offers research-based solutions to many societal challenges. The research can help improve public health by improving conditions for physical activity and preventing exclusion and physical inactivity. Our new Academy Programme aims to promote international and national research and stakeholder cooperation and communication to strengthen the societal impact of sport science research.” The new programme will also create better conditions for cooperation with foreign funding organisations.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Academy of Finland will continue their close cooperation through the new Academy Programme. Director Tiina Kivisaari from the Ministry’s Division for Sport, said: “The Ministry greatly appreciates the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of the Academy of Finland in providing funding for sport science research. The new Academy Programme will bring more transparency to the grant application process.”

Kivisaari added: “In the new programme, it’s important that the sport policy objectives set by the Finnish Parliament can be implemented in the best possible way. The themes of the programme will be defined in accordance with the Ministry’s strategy for knowledge-based management of physical activity.”

Going forward, the Academy of Finland will open an annual call for applications within the Academy Programme for Sport Science. The call will form part of the Academy’s winter call. The first call will be opened under the winter 2024 call. Applications to the programme will be reviewed with international peer review together with other applications submitted to the Academy. An information session about the programme call will be organised in autumn 2023.