KU Leuven and Virtus Announce New Researh Collaboration to Advance Inclusive Para Sport
KU Leuven and Virtus, the International Sports Federation for athletes with an intellectual impairment, have announced a new collaboration aimed at strengthening the development of inclusive, equitable, and credible research to advance Para sport.
The partnership was launched during a special lecture and reception held on 11 March 2026, bringing together researchers, sports leaders, and members of the international sporting community. The event explored how scientific research and international sport governance can work together to advance opportunities for athletes with intellectual impairment.
Professor Debbie Van Biesen of KU Leuven presented the scientific foundations behind the collaboration, focusing on the importance of evidence-based classification in elite sport. Her research examines the complex relationship between cognition and sports performance, contributing to the development of fair and reliable classification systems for athletes with intellectual impairments. Beyond its impact on sport, this research also has important clinical and societal applications.
Talking about this new collaboration, Professor Debbie Van Biesen of KU Leuven says,
“I am very happy that we can celebrate the renewed collaboration between KU Leuven and Virtus today. It is an important milestone on our shared journey towards more inclusion for athletes with an intellectual impairment at all levels of participation in sport. With the support of Virtus, we can continue the investigation into how cognition and performance are related, a line of research with direct impact for the athletes but also broader clinical and therapeutic applications.”
Nick Parr and Debbie Van Biesen addressing the seminar attendees at KU Leuven. Photo Credit: KU Leuven
The event was scheduled to coincide with the Winter Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina, as the re-inclusion of events for athletes with an intellectual impairment into the Games remains a top priority for Virtus.
“This collaboration represents an important step forward that classification systems are grounded in robust scientific evidence to enable new sports to be added to future Games programmes – including our target of inclusion in the 2030 Winter Games. By working closely with KU Leuven, we can continue to build a stronger, more inclusive future for athletes with intellectual impairments within the Paralympic movement and beyond,” Parr said.
While this marks a new formal phase of partnership, KU Leuven and Virtus have a long-standing history of working together on impactful research initiatives, including the IDEAL 1.0 and IDEAL 2.0 projects, which focused on improving inclusion and access to sport for individuals with intellectual impairments and autism.
Professor Van Biesen plays a key role within the Virtus ecosystem as well. Van Biesen is the manager of the Virtus Academy, a global hub for research, education, and training, launched in 2021 to support the development of elite sport for athletes with intellectual impairment. The Academy offers a wide range of eLearning courses, webinars, and toolkits, covering both general and sport-specific topics related to intellectual impairments and autism.
The partnership between KU Leuven and Virtus reflects a shared commitment to combining scientific research, sports policy, and international cooperation to support the continued growth and integrity of inclusive elite sport.
Together, both organisations aim to advance knowledge, strengthen classification systems, and promote greater opportunities for athletes with intellectual impairments to compete at the highest levels of international sport.
As we mark 40 years of Virtus, we honour Prof. Debbie Van Biesen for her exceptional contribution to the movement. Through her pioneering research and leadership of the Virtus Academy, she has helped shape the future of elite sport for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
