Virtus Awarded IPC’s Sport for Mobility Grant for Classification Research
Virtus is thrilled to announce that Virtus has been awarded IPC’s Sport for Mobility for Classification research on two projects. The first project has potential application across multiple sports, and the second specifically on cross-country skiing.
Revalidation and extension of the generic sports intelligence test (GSIT) for use with athletes with intellectual impairment
Virtus, the international sport federation for athletes with an intellectual impairment, and KU Leuven have been awarded a grant for the revalidation and extension of the Generic Sports Intelligence Test (GSIT), a key component in the classification of athletes with intellectual impairment. A key objective is to improve the functionality, reliability and validity of the revised GSIT and extend its application to more sports for athletes with intellectual impairment.
X-Pace: Pacing as a key cognitive determinant of performance in cross-country skiing – towards an evidence-based classification system for athletes with intellectual impairment
Virtus, together with Mid Sweden University, will study pacing as a key cognitive determinant of performance in cross-country skiing. Success in endurance sports relies heavily on an effective pacing strategy, which depends on cognitive abilities such as planning, anticipation, and real-time adaptation, areas in which athletes with intellectual impairment may face challenges. The project aims to develop a cross-country skiing-specific evidence-based classification system for athletes with intellectual impairment.
Debbie Van Biesen, Virtus Academy Manager, said:
“Virtus is proud to receive this grant, which represents a significant milestone in advancing the science of classification for athletes with intellectual impairments. Through the Virtus Academy, we are leading two groundbreaking research projects in partnership with KU Leuven (Belgium) and Mid Sweden University, focused on validating generic classification measures across sports and developing sport-specific evidence for cross-country skiing.
“Strengthening the quality, credibility and scientific rigour of classification remains a strategic priority for Virtus. While our work continues to support existing Paralympic pathway sports such as athletics, swimming and table tennis, we are equally committed to developing robust evidence-based systems for emerging sports, including winter sports. By strengthening both existing and developing classification systems, we hope to create new opportunities for participation and competition, while supporting the continued growth and inclusion of athletes with intellectual impairments within the Paralympic Games.”
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has awarded grants totalling EUR 900,000 to six projects to carry out multi-disciplinary classification research as part of efforts to further enhance the integrity, credibility and fairness of Para sport competitions.
The grants, provided through the IPC’s Sport for Mobility programme and funded thanks to a grant from Toyota Mobility Foundation, have been awarded to projects that cover intellectual, physical and vision impairments classification and range in duration from 12 to 31 months.
Dr. Mike Peters PLY, IPC Chief Executive Officer, said: “As part of our commitment to advance classification systems and processes across the Paralympic Movement, we are delighted to award Classification Research Grants to six outstanding projects as part of our Sport for Mobility programme.
“The standard of applications received for these grants was exceptional. It has been fantastic to witness so many sport federations working hand-in-hand with academic institutions to strengthen the scientific base that supports decision-making processes in classification. Naturally, we are indebted to Toyota Mobility Foundation for their support of classification, which is the cornerstone of Para sport.”
Tea Cisic, IPC Classification Director, said: “Congratulations to the first-ever recipients of IPC Classification Research Grants under this framework, six tremendous projects that will further improve the scientific base behind Para sports’ classification systems across the different eligible impairments.
“We are pleased to see the growing interest in classification research, the spread of member organisations and scientific community applying for the grant as well as the competitiveness in respect to the quality of the research proposals. In addition to assessing the quality of the proposals, we were tasked with balancing it against our priorities and the funding available.”
The first call for applications for the IPC Classification Research Grants initiative closed in September 2025. It made grants of up to EUR 65,000, up to EUR 90,000, up to EUR 125,000, and up to EUR 250,000 available to International Federations, International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled and Recognised International Federations, in collaboration with the scientific community, to support the development and improvement of best practice and evidence-based classification systems in Para sports. Projects must be 12-36 months in length and be delivered before October 2028.
