OSC Newsletter

4th Colloquium of Academic Olympic Studies and Research Centres

The Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Olympiques Universitaires (CEROU) of Université de Franche-Comté (France) hosted in July the 4th International Colloquium of academic Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRC), at which representatives from 27 OSRCs contributed to wide-ranging discussions on the nature of Olympic studies and their contribution to society and the Olympic movement, as well as on how to strengthen the activities of and promote collaboration among the OSRCs.

The colloquium was followed by a one-day visit to Lausanne, including the IOC headquarters, the Olympic Museum, the heritage collections and the Olympic Studies Centre.

For more information about the network of academic OSRCs, click here. Find the presentation videos of each attending OSRC here.

“On the Line with an Expert” session on Safeguarding Athletes in the Olympic Movement

The IOC, via its Safe Sport Unit, is committed to developing programmes and initiatives to ensure that every athlete can train and compete in a safe sporting environment – one that is fair, equitable and free from all forms of harassment and abuse, where participants can thrive and experience the full benefits of sport participation.

In our latest “On the Line with an Expert” session, Kirsty Burrows, Head of the Safe Sport Unit, and Tine Vertommen, expert consultant, give an update on key initiatives, present the research strategy and take questions from the academic audience.

The next online session on the IOC’s approach to supporting athletes’ mental health will be held in November (date to be confirmed), and will provide an additional dimension to this important subject.

To receive our regular mailouts on these and other OSC initiatives, write to studies.centre@olympic.org.

You can access the recorded session here , and find all important links and resources on athletes’ health and protection on the dedicated ZOOM IN page here.

Launch of the 2025/2027 edition of the Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme

The call for applications for the 2025-2027 edition of our programme will be launched at the beginning of November.

The main objective of this programme is to promote advanced humanities or social sciences research by experienced researchers in priority fields of research identified by the IOC. University professors, lecturers and research fellows who have completed their doctorate, and who currently hold an academic/research appointment/affiliation can apply.

More information (including rules, fields of research and application form) will be available here.

The deadline for submitting an application is 27 January 2025.

Olympic Knowledge - Essential Readings Series

Fourteen new articles covering diverse topics on the organisation of the Olympic Movement and the relevance of the Olympic Games in contemporary society have been added to our recently launched Essential Readings collection on the Olympic World Library.

The collection now comprises 30 articles, in which the authors offer us a comprehensive and critical look at the Olympic Movement and its evolution, since its creation in 1894. Written by academic experts from various human and social sciences backgrounds in accessible language and a compact format, these texts provide a rich knowledge source for all audiences.

Special thanks go to the authors and the academic members of the editorial board for their invaluable contribution to this project!

On the shelf: Paris 2024 publications

The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 are over, but our work on acquiring, digitising and making publications on these Games accessible is still in full swing!

We have already compiled over 240 publications on the Olympic World Library, coming from the Organising Committee, the International Sports Federations, the National Olympic Committees and the academic world.

Find them all on the Olympic World Library and sign up to the alert on new releases to make you don’t miss anything.

Podcast « C’est plus compliqué que ça »

For our French-speaking audience, don’t miss the podcast series entitled « C’est plus compliqué que ça - l’histoire derrière l’histoire » (« It’s more complex than that – the story behind the story ») on Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.

Published just before the Games in Paris, this series sets out to inform and debunk typical myths about the man, his vision and his work.

In four short episodes of around 15 minutes each, you will enjoy a mix of light, factual, thought-provoking and humorous discussions.

Find it on any podcast platform here.

WADA call for prososal - 2025 Social Science Research Grant Programme

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has launched the Call for Proposals for its 2025 Social Science Research Grant Programme.

Applicants are invited to submit proposals by 18 November 2024 (12:00 GMT) here.