Sport Participation Research Initiative

The joint Sport Participation Research Initiative (SPRI) supports the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy by funding selected doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers and postsecondary institution-affiliated researchers to conduct research on matters related to enhancing participation in sport—and to the outcomes thereof—in Canada.

• To promote Canadian research that will develop better understanding, based on empirical evidence, of Canadians' participation in sport, in order to better inform programs and policies intended to promote and enhance Canadians' participation in sport To build Canada's capacity to conduct research on and related to participation in sport, specifically in the target areas below.
• 1. Participant development: Research that supports the sound development of athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials and leaders. Priorities include: physical literacy promotion and awareness; training and retention of volunteers, coaches, officials and leaders; athlete development, retention, services, and talent identification; and athlete outcomes related to long-term athlete development pathways (including those for underrepresented groups and Paralympic athletes). 
• 2. System performance: Research that supports the effective performance of the sport system’s structures, processes and interventions. Priorities include: effective programming for underrepresented groups and first-contact participants; effective long-term athlete development and pathway-focused programming; organizational capacity, including governance, resources and leadership; collaboration and partnerships; beneficial use of new technologies in support of system performance; and monitoring and evaluation.
• 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: promotion of inclusion and reflection of community diversity; policies and programs related to safety, injury prevention and injury recovery; values-based programming; ethical conduct, practices and behaviours; and unethical conduct, practices and behaviours (especially in the areas of doping, violence, abuse and harassment). 
• 4. Major games and events: Research that analyses 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.
•  5. Economic and social development: Research that supports sport for development outcomes in Canadian communities. Priorities include: development of community-based evaluation tools; and collaboration with experts in non-sport fields of development.

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