Sport Participation Research
Advancing innovation in Canadian sports and physical activity with evidence-based knowledge products through the Sport Participation Research Initiative.
sport participation research initiative (SPRI)
The Sport Participation Research Initiative (SPRI) is a joint initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Sport Canada. The initiative is intended to support the objectives of the Canadian Sport Policy by funding eligible doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and postsecondary institution-affiliated researchers who are conducting research to enhance sport participation and its outcomes in Canada.
SPRI Funding Opportunities
1. Insight Grants: Sport Canada considers Insight Grant 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. Insight Grant applications reviewed by Sport Canada may be funded through the SPRI program in 2 ways:
- SPRI Research Grants: Worth up to $100,000 annually, (not exceeding $250,000 over 3 years), may be offered to Insight Grant applicants who did not receive SSHRC Insight Grant funding.
- SPRI Insight Grant Supplements: Worth up to $20,000 may be offered to successful Insight Grant recipients, in addition to the value of their grant.
2. Postdoctoral Fellowship Supplements: Worth $10,000 in addition to the annual value of the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.
3. Doctoral Award Supplements: Worth $10,000 in addition to the annual value of the SSHRC Doctoral Award.
Note: Supplements are intended to support and encourage the participation of doctoral and post-doctoral students in the annual Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) knowledge mobilization program. All recipients of SPRI research awards are expected to translate the findings of their completed research through participation in a knowledge sharing event or the products of a knowledge product. Program staff will share format details with award recipients.
Funding Eligibility
To receive and maintain eligibility for a SPRI grant or award they are expected to:
- Participate in the SCRI KM Program hosted by the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) and Sport Canada, which may include knowledge sharing events or knowledge product development (details to be shared annually by SIRC).
- Complete a progress report each year during the award or grant term, including the year it concludes (due annually on September 30).
- Prepare a short Knowledge Transfer (KT) paper summarizing key findings of your research for sport policymakers and practitioners, due September 30 in the final year of your award or grant.
On behalf of Sport Canada, SIRC will contact active grant and award holders annually via email to facilitate progress report submissions and provide information about the SCRI KM Program. Upon grant or award completion, SIRC will contact researchers with instructions for KT paper submissions.
Forms and Templates for Researchers
Timelines for Progress Reports and KT Paper Submissions
Researchers with SPRI Doctoral Award and Postdoctoral Fellowship Supplements may submit their KT paper at the end of their 12-month funding term or upon completion of their Dissertation or SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Researchers with SPRI Research Grants will complete a progress report annually during the life of their SPRI grant. They will be asked to submit their KT paper upon completion of the SPRI grant.
Researchers with SPRI Insight Grant Supplements will complete a progress report annually during the life of their Insight Grant, although the supplement may only be administered during the first year. They will be asked to submit their KT paper upon completion of the Insight Grant.
When researchers submit their end-of-project KT paper, they will be asked to participate in the SCRI KM Program. Participation in the SCRI KM Program may include delivering a presentation at a knowledge sharing event or contributing to the development of a knowledge product, such as a podcast episode, blog, or infographic. Details about the SCRI KM Program options will be shared with researchers annually by SIRC.
Researchers with in-progress research are also invited to participate in the SCRI KM Program. Please contact SIRC if you are ready to share findings from your SPRI-funded research prior to the end of your project or funding period.
The Role of the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC)
SIRC is contracted by Sport Canada to manage communications with SPRI grant and award holders regarding the eligibility conditions. This includes providing important details and information about the SCRI KM Program and managing progress reports and KT papers. SIRC is also contracted by Sport Canada to manage the SCRI KM Program, providing SPRI researchers with guidance, support and a platform to share the findings of their completed SPRI research with Canada’s sport community.
Key Abbreviations
- SCRI: Sport Canada Research Initiative (Knowledge Mobilization Program)
- SIRC: Sport Information Resource Centre
- SPRI: Sport Participation Research Initiative (Funding Program)
- SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
contact us
If you have any questions about the conditions of your SPRI funding or the SCRI Knowledge Mobilization program, please contact research@sirc.ca.
SIRC Services
Spri research
SIRC is home to the library of SPRI research. By using a variety of knowledge mobilization products, we have helped get the latest research into the hands of sport leaders across Canada.
Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI)
In 2005, as part of the Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI), Sport Canada launched a joint initiative with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) called the Sport Participation Research Initiative (SPRI). Sport Canada is funding the SPRI to better evidence the benefits of, and barriers to, quality sport participation with the aim of improving Canadian sport policy outcomes.
An important component of the SCRI council-based research program is the annual research conference, where all current SSHRC funded sport researchers gather together with policy makers to share their knowledge and expertise in view of maximizing the practical applications of sport participation research.
For 17 years, SIRC and Sport Canada hosted the annual SCRI Conference, where all active SPRI-funded sport researchers gathered together with sport partners and policy makers to share their knowledge and expertise in view of maximizing the practical applications of sport participation research. In 2024, the SCRI Conference evolved into the SCRI Knowledge Mobilization Program, a dynamic, inclusive platform for sharing knowledge with Canada’s sport community.
The SCRI KM Program provides sport researchers with diverse channels for translating the findings of their research to a variety of audiences in Canadian sport, including knowledge sharing events and the development and dissemination of knowledge products (for example, podcast episodes, blogs, and infographics). SIRC provides guidance and support to sport researchers to enhance the reach, quality and impact of knowledge products and knowledge sharing opportunities.
17th Annual SCRI Conference (2023)
The 17th annual Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) Conference, the country’s leading sport participation research conference, returned in a hybrid format for 2023!
On October 26 and 27 2023, we hosted an in-person event at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre in Ottawa, Ontario with a virtual participation option on Zoom. Attendees could choose the format that best suited their needs to deliver a top-notch experience for everyone involved. Whether joining us in-person or online, we enjoyed connecting with you and sharing the latest developments and insights in sports research.
The theme of the 2023 SCRI Conference was “Making Sport Better Together.” Collaboration is vital to a thriving sport system, and we were excited to connect with you about collective opportunities to advance sport participation in Canada. The SCRI network of well-respected researchers, keynote speakers and panelists highlighted the challenges faced by all corners of sport today and put a spotlight on opportunities for action.
At SCRI, people working, playing and volunteering at all levels of sport, from community clubs to national sport organizations, came together with sport researchers and policymakers to share knowledge and make new connections. The conference format was designed to foster collaboration and engagement. The agenda featured engaging plenary and keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions, and hands-on networking events, including a Paris Olympic and Paralympic themed social hour and hands-on workshop focused on Advancing Research Partnerships in Sport.
Archived Conference Information
SCRI 2022 was held on October 27 and 28, 2022 and took a deep dive into the referee and official crisis in Canada, spectator violence in youth hockey, Canadian identity in our rinks and much more. Learn more.
In it’s 15th year, Canada’s leading sport participation research conference was held on October 28 and 29, 2021. The SCRI 2021 theme was The Future of Sport Participation. Marnie McBean shared valuable insights into her experiences during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission. Learn more.
The 14th annual SCRI Conference took place virtually for the first time in 2020 and featured 3 powerful Driving Change Spotlight discussions, keynote speaker Dr. Andrew Marshall and two panel discussions. Learn more.
In 2019, he conference brought together researchers from across Canada at the Canadian Museum of Nature in it’s 13th edition. To kick things off, Dr. Nicole LaVoi of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport delivered a riveting keynote address. Learn more.
In partnership with Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif conference, the 2018 SCRI Conference brought the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Jenny Davey & Jenn Bruce who spoke on Bringing Research to Life while the Coaching Association of Canada’s Marie-Pier Charest reviewed Sport Coaching Knowledge Mobilization. Learn more.
In 2017, the SCRI conference looked at the barriers to participation in sport. Despite sport having endless benefits for your health, social well-being, and everyday life, many individuals are still hesitant to participate. In order to resolve this itching problem of how to get more people involved in sport, we must answer why. What is preventing them from participating? What are the barriers that youth, persons with disabilities, seniors, men and women, encounter when approaching sport? And what effect is this having? What can we do to provide opportunities for sport participation? These are all questions that the 11th annual Sport Canada Research Initiative Conference aimed to tackle. Learn more.