Sport Participation Research Initiative: 2025-26 competitions
A joint initiative between SSHRC and Sport Canada
| Overview | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding streams | Doctoral scholarship supplements | Postdoctoral award supplement | Insight Grants |
| Value | $10,000 in addition to the value of the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral | $10,000 in addition to the value of the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award | Up to $20,000 in addition to the value of the Insight Grant |
| Duration | 12 months | 12 months | 2 to 5 years |
| Application deadlineFootnote * | Directly to SSHRC: October 17, 2025 Through a Canadian institution with a quota: Contact your institution for its deadline. |
September 11, 2025 | October 1, 2025 |
| Results announced | July 2026 | July 2026 | July 2026 |
| Apply | Via the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral competition | Via the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award competition | Via the Insight Grant competition |
On this page
- Description
- Value and duration
- Eligibility
- Application process
- Merit review
- Conditions of funding
- Regulations, policies and related information
- Contact information
Description
The joint Sport Participation Research Initiative (SPRI) supports the objectives of the Canadian Sport Policy by funding eligible doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers and postsecondary institution-affiliated researchers. These students and researchers conduct research on enhancing participation in sport—and its outcomes—in Canada.
The policy sets out five objectives:
- Introduction to sport: Canadians have the fundamental skills, knowledge and attitudes to participate in organized and unorganized sport.
- Recreational sport: Canadians have the opportunity to participate in sport for fun, health, social interaction and relaxation.
- Competitive sport: Canadians have the opportunity to systematically improve and measure their performance against others in competition in a safe and ethical manner.
- High-performance sport: Canadians are systematically achieving world-class results at the highest levels of international competition through fair and ethical means.
- Sport for development: Sport is used as a tool for social and economic development, and for the promotion of positive values at home and abroad.
The policy aims to increase both the number and diversity of Canadians participating in sport.
Program objectives
The SPRI has two broad objectives:
- to promote Canadian research that will develop a better understanding, based on empirical evidence, of Canadians’ participation in sport, in order to better inform programs and policies; and
- to build Canada’s capacity to conduct research on and related to participation in sport, specifically in the target areas described below.
To help achieve these objectives, all SPRI grant and award holders are expected to engage in knowledge mobilization activities as a condition of funding.
Target areas
The SPRI partners invite proposals that address the broad objectives and focus on one or more of the following target areas:
1. Participation: Research that supports the development, and increases the number and diversity of athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials and leaders. Priorities include:
- strategies and interventions to increase the number and diversity of Canadians participating in all sport contexts;
- recruitment, training and retention of athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials and leaders; and
- effective monitoring and evaluation of participant experiences—including those of underrepresented groups and Paralympic athletes—in the sport system, schools and communities.
2. System performance: Research that supports the effective performance of the sport system’s structures, processes and interventions. Priorities include:
- effective programming;
- organizational capacity, including governance, resources and leadership; and
- effective collaboration and partnerships (at the national, provincial or local levels).
3. Values and ethics: Research that supports and/or evaluates/monitors safe, ethical and values-based design and delivery of sport policies, programs and services. Priorities include:
- policies and programs related to safety and injury;
- ethical conduct, practices and behaviours; and
- unethical conduct, practices and behaviours (especially in the areas of doping, maltreatment, fair play, discrimination, concussions, governance, corruption, sports betting and competition manipulation).
4. Major games and events: Research that analyzes impacts on and outcomes for communities and Canadians as legacies (social, cultural, economic) of major games and events. Priorities include:
- facilities, venues and spaces;
- sustainable resources and outcomes; and
- impacts specific to small-, medium- and large-scale events, as well as multisport and single-sport major games.
5. Economic and social development: Research that supports sport for development outcomes in Canadian communities. Priorities include:
- development of community-based evaluation tools;
- collaboration with experts in non-sport fields of development; and
- socio-economic impacts on communities, including sport development.
Funding mechanisms
The initiative offers three separate funding mechanisms to support research on participation in sport in Canada.
Doctoral scholarship supplements
Applicants for a Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral who indicate their interest on the application form and who are working in one or more of the target areas will be considered for an SPRI doctoral scholarship supplement.
Only applications recommended for funding by SSHRC are referred to Sport Canada. Those who already hold a SSHRC-funded doctoral award or scholarship are ineligible to apply for this supplement.
If interested in this supplement, contact fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.
Postdoctoral award supplements
Applicants for a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award who indicate their interest on the application form and who are working in one or more of the target areas will be considered for an SPRI postdoctoral award supplement.
Only applications recommended for funding by SSHRC are referred to Sport Canada. Postdoctoral researchers who already hold a SSHRC-funded postdoctoral award or fellowship are ineligible to apply for this supplement.
If interested in this supplement, contact fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.
Research grants
The SPRI partners seek to stimulate short- and long-term research in sport participation in Canada by increasing the funding available through the Insight Grant funding opportunity.
Sport Canada considers applications referred by SSHRC merit review committees that propose programs of research relevant to its policy priorities. These applications have already been recommended for SSHRC funding, but either did not receive an Insight Grant due to budgetary constraints or the proposed research project exceeded the Insight Grant timelines or funding.
Note: The initiative is designed to complement, not replace, existing SSHRC support for sport participation research offered through the Insight Research program.
Value and duration
Doctoral scholarship supplements
SPRI doctoral scholarship supplements are held for 12 months and are worth up to $10,000, in addition to the annual value of the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral.
Postdoctoral award supplements
SPRI postdoctoral award supplements are held for 12 months and are worth $10,000, in addition to the annual value of the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award.
Research grants
SPRI research grants are available to Insight Grant applicants and are worth up to a maximum of $100,000 annually, but cannot total more than $250,000 in a three-year period.
Insight Grant applicants who request funding for up to five years and for more than $250,000 via the Insight Grant application can also be considered for SPRI funding. Those applicants will be asked to resubmit an adjusted three-year budget.
SPRI research grant supplements—worth up to $20,000—are available to successful Insight Grant recipients, in addition to the value of their grant. The supplements are intended to finance knowledge mobilization activities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for and maintain SPRI funding, all grant, scholarship and award holders are expected to meet and follow the conditions of funding determined by Sport Canada, in addition to the eligibility requirements for each specific type of grant, scholarship or award.
Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility for more information.
Doctoral scholarship supplements
Besides meeting the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral eligibility requirements, applicants for a doctoral scholarship supplement must be working in one or more of the target areas and be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility.
Postdoctoral award supplements
Besides meeting the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award eligibility requirements, applicants for a postdoctoral award supplement must be working in one or more of the target areas and be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility.
Research grants—applicants and participants
Applications can be submitted by an individual researcher or a team of researchers (consisting of one applicant/project director and one or more co-applicants and/or collaborators) who are working in Canada in one or more of the target areas. Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility at the time of application. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant status.
A researcher who currently holds an SPRI grant cannot submit a new SPRI application as the applicant. A researcher cannot submit an application for an SPRI grant and another application for an Insight Grant as the applicant in the same competition.
All applicants must comply with the other eligibility criteria for an Insight Grant.
Research grants—institutions
Grant funds can only be administered by an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility.
Institutions must contact institutional.eligibility@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca to begin the institutional eligibility application process, or if they have questions about institutional eligibility.
Research grants—monitoring
Grant holders will be expected to report on the use of grant funds, on funded activities undertaken during the grant period, and on outcomes. Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving their Notice of Award.
Application process
Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for this stream of funding must apply through the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral, Canada Postdoctoral Research Award or Insight Grant funding opportunities by selecting the “Sport Participation Research Initiative” option from the drop-down menu in their application form.
Applicants must also provide a one-page justification that explains how their proposed research project is related to one or more of the SPRI objectives.
Merit review
Doctoral scholarship and postdoctoral award supplements
Each application for an SPRI doctoral scholarship or postdoctoral award supplement is first reviewed by the relevant SSHRC merit review committee. Only successful applications will be referred to the SPRI Relevance Committee.
Research grants
Each application for an SPRI research grant is first reviewed by the relevant SSHRC merit review committee. If the application is recommended for funding, it will be referred to the SPRI Relevance Committee.
The SPRI Relevance Committee is made up of the Sport Canada research coordinator and members of the academic community. This committee assesses whether the research will contribute to efforts that will enhance sport participation in Canada. The committee must form a consensus on whether the proposed research adequately meets the funding opportunity’s objectives and target areas. Therefore, applications must specify how the proposed research applies to the SPRI’s sport participation objectives.
The SPRI Relevance Committee’s decisions cannot be appealed.
| Funding opportunity | Review by SSHRC merit review committees | Review by SPRI Relevance Committee | Results announced | SPRI grant / award start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral | March 2026 | June 2026 | July 2026 | January 2027 |
| Canada Postdoctoral Research Award | January 2026 | June 2026 | July 2026 | January 2027 |
| Insight Grants | February 2026 | June 2026 | July 2026 | January 2027 |
Conditions of funding
To receive and maintain eligibility for an SPRI grant, scholarship or award, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- As part of the knowledge transfer component of the SPRI funding, grant, scholarship and award holders will be required to prepare knowledge mobilization products; including a short paper targeted at the sport policy and practitioner communities, summarizing the key findings of their research. Sport Canada will contact grant, scholarship and award holders at their funding end date to communicate the due date as well as the SPRI knowledge mobilization guidelines. Grant, scholarship and award holders will be asked to follow the knowledge transfer template provided by Sport Canada when preparing their paper. Grant, scholarship and award holders are encouraged to seek publication of their research in an open source publication.
Regulations, policies and related information
SSHRC reserves the right to determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information included. SSHRC also reserves the right to interpret the regulations and policies governing its funding opportunities.
For descriptions of SSHRC terms, see Definitions of Terms.
Doctoral scholarship and postdoctoral award supplements
All scholarship and award applicants and holders must comply with the policies, regulations and guidelines governing scholarship and award applications and with the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide.
Research grants
All applicants and grant holders must comply with the policies, regulations and guidelines governing grant applications and with the regulations set out in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.
Contact information
For more information:
Email: research@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861