Lakeshore Foundation Awards Three Research Grants and Three Scholar Grants in First Grant Competition

The Sports Science and Performance Center at Lakeshore Addresses Inequities in Training and Research for Athletes with Disabilities

BIRMINGHAM, AL, UNITED STATES, November 14, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Last month, Lakeshore Foundation’s Sports Science and Performance Center (SSPC) awarded six grants as part of its Sports Science Research Projects grant competition. Three grants were awarded to support high-caliber investigators from leading institutions, including the University of Alabama and Rancho Research Institute. Additionally, three grants were awarded to graduate students currently being mentored by prominent leaders in the field.

The competition funded two programs: Research Projects and a Scholars Program. The Research Projects program will support studies on topics such as concussion assessment tools and improving mobility performance of manual wheelchair athletes. The Scholars program will fund research on a variety of topics, including mental health assessment tools, the physical demands of amputee soccer and the Paralympic pipeline.

The purpose of this competition is to address the need for more knowledge and innovation within adapted sports, according to Amy Rauworth, Lakeshore Foundation’s chief research and innovation officer.

“Adapted athletics is severely underrepresented in sports research,” Rauworth said. “We’re confident these grants will aid the larger goal of bridging this gap and giving athletes with disabilities the tools they need to succeed.”

According to a study conducted by Team USA, Paralympic athletes face almost double the risks of injury and illness compared to their Olympic counterparts. Despite these numbers, athletes with disabilities have fewer resources to support their health and performance, according to Rauworth. One of SSPC’s goals is to address this shortage of sports training and research for athletes with disabilities, especially Paralympians.

"Lakeshore Foundation is committed to driving change through activity, advocacy and research," John Kemp, Lakeshore Foundation’s president and CEO, said. "Our Sports Science and Performance Center is at the heart of this effort.”

This is SSPC’s first ever Sports Science Research Projects grant competition. Applicants went through a vigorous selection process and their proposals were selected based on factors such as significance of the research, feasibility of the approach and potential for innovation. This is one of SSPC’s many programs, all of which focus on advancing sports science research and creating greater disability equity in sports performance. For more information on SSPC and its programs, visit https://lakeshore.org/sspc

About Lakeshore Foundation
Lakeshore Foundation, a Birmingham, Ala. nonprofit organization, has emerged as a world leader in health promotion, research, fitness, recreation and sports advocacy for people with a disability, veterans, seniors and parasport activities. As a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site, Lakeshore serves as the National Governing Body for USA Wheelchair Rugby and Boccia United States. Lakeshore is also home to the state-of-the-art Lakeshore Sports Science and Performance Center. For more information on Lakeshore Foundation, visit www.lakeshore.org

Terry
Lakeshore Foundation
terrys@lakeshore.org
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