Deadline: September 22, 2026
Applications are invited for the Olympic Studies Centre PhD Students & Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme 2027. The Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) organises an annual research grant programme intended for PhD Students and Early Career Academics engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and ideals, and the impact of the Olympic Games on the various aspects of contemporary society and culture.
The objectives of the programme are as follows:
- Support PhD Students and Early Career Academics and foster excellence in Olympic related research with a humanities and/or social sciences perspective.
- Facilitate a research and study visit at the Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland (the Olympic Capital), and the consultation of the OSC’s collections (including primary sources and the IOC historical archives).
- Support the next generation of scholars in the field of Olympic studies.
Grant
- Successful applicants will receive a research grant of a maximum of USD $6,000. The total amount to be awarded will be decided by the Grant Programme Selection Committee after full consideration of all elements of the application.
Eligibility
- Students enrolled in a PhD degree programme, with a humanities and/or social sciences perspective, with Olympism, the Olympic Movement or the Olympic Games as, at least, one of the research foci. Students must remain enrolled in the PhD degree programme for the entire duration of the grant, from submission of the application to delivery of the final report.
- The project presented should demonstrate a clear contribution to the candidate’s doctoral thesis.
- Academic staff and postdoctoral fellows who completed their doctorate or equivalent highest degree with a humanities and/or social sciences perspective (including masters, depending on the field) in or after 2024 (named or referred to in this programme as “Early Career Academics” (ECA)).
- ECA applicants must hold a university appointment covering the period of the grant (from submission of the application to delivery of the final report).
Application
Applications and all supporting documentation must be submitted in either French or English, the two official languages of the Olympic Movement. Completed application files must include the following documents:
- Official application form duly completed
- Proof of registration covering the period of the grant (from submission of the application to delivery of the final report), issued by the university administration on institutional letterhead:
- for PhD students: current proof of doctoral enrolment;
- for ECA: current proof of a university appointment, including academic/research status.
- Letter of recommendation written on institutional letterhead, signed and sent by the applicant’s supervisor (for PhD students) or mentor (for ECA).
- The Selection Committee is particularly interested in the supervisor’s/mentor’s assessment of the following points: the scholarly significance of the research project; the methodology and original nature of the study; the impact of the project on the Olympic Movement; the candidate’s training, abilities, achievements to date and motivation for the research proposed; and the likelihood that the applicant will complete the project on time.
- If the research proposal includes interviews, surveys or any other methodologies that involve human subjects, human data and/or fieldwork, or as required by the applicant’s home institution, a certificate stating that the project has been approved by the university’s ethics committee must be included.
- Applicants are requested to take note of the Guidelines concerning the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and disclose if they have used an AI tool to develop their application.
For more information, see official rules or visit Olympic Studies Centre Research Grant.
