Research to Practice

SIRC Researcher/Practitioner Match Grants

SIRC is committed to connecting researchers and sport organizations to build capacity and contribute to advancement and innovation in the Canadian sport and physical activity sector. With funding from Sport Canada, SIRC is excited to continue our Researcher/Practitioner Match Grant initiative, designed to support the mobilization of knowledge into practice through collaborations between sport organizations and researchers.

Read about the recipients of the 2020/21 SIRC Match Grants here.

Match Grant Benefits

SIRC Match Grants provide a range of benefits for both researchers and sport organizations. Hear from 2019 Match Grant partners about the impact of the program in the video below, and download the application for more details.

How it Works

Step 1 – The Match

A sport organization, an academic supervisor, and a graduate student develop a research or evaluation project.  Projects can involve additional collaborators, as appropriate.

Step 2 – The Application

Partners complete the electronic application template and submit their proposal to SIRC.

Step 3 – The Project

Partners receive funding to support project activities. Project outcomes and key learnings will be promoted by SIRC, and shared at the 2021 SCRI Conference!

2020 Project Priority

The Canadian sport system is committed to enhancing the participation of girls and women in all facets of sport and physical activity in Canada. To contribute to this priority, proposed Match Grant projects that will produce insight to inform sport organization action to enhance the participation and leadership of girls and women are encouraged. Research projects can use qualitative and/or quantitative approaches, and could include stakeholder research, communications analyses, evaluations, literature reviews, impact assessments, etc.

Call for Applications

The 2020/2021 Call for Applications is now closed. Sign up for SIRC’s newsletter, the Canadian Sport Daily, to be kept in the loop on future opportunities.

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SIRC Forum

The SIRC Forum is an interactive, online platform that brings together researchers and practitioners to enhance sport in Canada. The Forum is a place for you to ask and answer questions, share resources and findings, discuss trending topics or issues, and connect with potential partners or collaborators.

The SIRC Forum builds on SIRC’s mandate to connect researchers and practitioners through the Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) conference, and responds to discussion about the value of enhanced relationships and collaboration among stakeholders in Canadian sport.

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SIRC Researcher in Residence

As a way of “practicing what we preach,” SIRC created the Researcher in Residence position to build connections with Canada’s sport and physical researchers, and enhance SIRC’s own capacity to put research into practice.

In 2019/2020 SIRC was pleased to welcome Dr. Ann Pegoraro from the University of Guelph as our Researcher in Residence. Ann is the Lang Chair in Sport Management and currently holds an appointment as a Full Professor in the School of Hospitality, Food, and Tourism. Dr. Pegoraro is also the co-Director of the National Network for Research on Gender Equity in Canadian Sport. Ann’s research focuses primarily on marketing and communication with a focus on the digital world. Ann is also a life-long sports enthusiast, transitioning from playing to coaching and now teaching and sharing her knowledge and experience where possible.

SIRC and Ann collaborated to build SIRC’s data division – enhancing SIRC’s social media expertise, and honing our skills to glean insights from digital data. Her familiarity with existing academic literature helped inform SIRC’s decision-making and project design. SIRC has also leveraged Ann’s experience with quantitative research methods to inform survey-based projects with national sport community clients.

For more information about becoming SIRC’s next Researcher in Residence,  please contact us!

SIRC Evidence-Based Content

SIRC blogs and articles provide evidence-based and actionable insight from sport researchers and thought leaders to advance Canada’s sport system. Complemented by our daily knowledge nuggets, this content provides sport administrators, volunteers, coaches, officials, parents and athletes with regular sources to reflect on their personal and professional practice.

SPORTDiscus

Developed by SIRC, SPORTDiscus is the leading bibliographic database for sport and physical activity-related research, featuring millions of records from journals, books, dissertations and more. SIRC subscribers have access to SPORTDiscus and the latest sport and physical activity-related research.

SCRI Conference

SIRC’s annual Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) Conference profiles research funded through the Sport Participation Research Initiative (SPRI) – a joint initiative of Sport Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. SPRI supports the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy by funding research relating to enhancing sport participation, and the outcomes thereof, in Canada.  

Concussion Workshops

SIRC brings together Canada’s sport system for annual hands-on workshops to advance concussion in sport. Content focuses on the mobilization of research and thought leadership to advance policy and practice relating to concussion management and prevention in Canada.