Olympic Studies Centre PhD Students & Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme 2027

Applications are open for the Olympic Studies Centre PhD Students & Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme 2027, an annual research funding opportunity for emerging scholars conducting academic research on the Olympic Movement, Olympic ideals, the history of the Olympic Games, and their impact on contemporary society and culture. The programme is organized by the Olympic Studies Centre (OSC), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic Capital.

The programme is particularly suitable for researchers working from a humanities and/or social sciences perspective. It provides financial support for research projects while also offering successful applicants the opportunity to undertake a research and study visit at the Olympic Studies Centre. During this visit, researchers can consult the Centre's collections, including primary sources and the International Olympic Committee's historical archives.

The initiative is designed not simply as a funding opportunity, but as a way of strengthening the next generation of Olympic scholars. Researchers can use the programme to deepen their academic work, access specialized historical materials, and develop research that contributes to wider understanding of Olympism, the Olympic Movement, and the social and cultural significance of the Olympic Games.

About the Olympic Studies Centre Research Grant

The Olympic Studies Centre runs the annual grant programme to support doctoral students and early-career academics whose research is connected to Olympic studies. The programme recognizes that emerging scholars may require access to specialized archival collections, research materials, and international academic networks to complete high-quality research.

For PhD applicants, the proposed project must make a clear contribution to their doctoral thesis. Applicants therefore need to demonstrate how the grant-funded research activities will advance their dissertation and contribute meaningfully to their overall doctoral project.

Early Career Academics (ECAs) are also eligible. Under the programme rules, ECAs include academic staff and postdoctoral fellows who completed their doctorate or equivalent highest degree, with a humanities and/or social sciences perspective, in or after 2024. They must also hold a university appointment covering the period from submission of the application through delivery of the final research report.

Grant Benefits

Successful applicants may receive:

• A research grant of up to USD 6,000.
• Opportunity to undertake a research and study visit at the Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne.
• Access to OSC collections and specialized research resources.
• Opportunity to consult primary sources and IOC historical archives.
• Exposure to the Olympic research community.
• Support for scholarly research related to Olympism and the Olympic Movement.
• An opportunity to strengthen a PhD thesis or early-career research programme.
• International academic and professional networking opportunities.

The maximum award is USD 6,000, although the final amount awarded to an individual applicant is determined by the Grant Programme Selection Committee after consideration of the complete application.

Who Can Apply?

The programme has two principal applicant categories.

PhD Students

Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD programme with a humanities and/or social sciences perspective. Their research must have Olympism, the Olympic Movement, or the Olympic Games as at least one of its research focuses.

Importantly, applicants must remain enrolled in their PhD programme throughout the entire grant period. This means that doctoral enrollment must cover the period beginning with submission of the application and continuing through delivery of the final report.

The proposed research must also demonstrate a clear and meaningful contribution to the applicant's doctoral thesis.

Early Career Academics

Academic staff and postdoctoral fellows may apply as ECAs if they completed their doctorate or equivalent highest degree in or after 2024, in a relevant humanities or social sciences field.

ECA applicants must hold a university appointment that covers the entire grant period, from application submission through delivery of the final report.

Research Areas

The programme can be relevant to a broad range of humanities and social sciences research connected to the Olympic Movement.

Potential themes may include:

• History of the Olympic Games.
• History of Olympism.
• Olympic institutions and governance.
• Olympic diplomacy.
• Sport and international relations.
• Olympic politics.
• Sport and society.
• Cultural studies of the Olympic Games.
• Olympic education.
• Gender and the Olympic Movement.
• Race and representation in sport.
• Olympic heritage.
• Social and cultural impacts of the Games.
• Olympic movements and national identity.
• Media and the Olympics.
• Sport, culture, and globalization.

Required Application Documents

Applications must be submitted in English or French, the two official languages of the Olympic Movement.

A complete application must include:

• The official Olympic Studies Centre application form.
• Proof of registration covering the entire grant period.
• For PhD students, current proof of doctoral enrollment issued by the university administration on institutional letterhead.
• For ECAs, current proof of university appointment, including academic or research status.
• A letter of recommendation from the applicant's supervisor or mentor.
• Any required ethics approval documentation for research involving human subjects, human data, interviews, surveys, or fieldwork.
• The proposed research information required by the official application form.

How to Apply

To apply for the Olympic Studies Centre PhD Students & Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme 2027:

1. Review the official programme rules and eligibility requirements.
2. Determine whether you qualify as a PhD student or Early Career Academic.
3. Develop a research proposal clearly connected to Olympic studies.
4. Explain how the proposed research will contribute to your PhD thesis or wider research programme.
5. Obtain the required proof of doctoral enrollment or university appointment.
6. Request a recommendation letter from your supervisor or mentor.
7. Obtain ethics approval documentation if your project requires it.
8. Complete the official application form in English or French.
9. Review all supporting documents carefully.
10. Submit the completed application before the deadline.