Funder: American College of Sports Medicine Foundation
Due Dates: November 13, 2026 (Application deadline) | Mid-March 2027 (Notification) | April 30, 2027 (Post-award documents) | June 1–4, 2027 (Annual Meeting) | July 1, 2027 (Funding begins) | June 30, 2028 (Funding ends, most grants) | August 31, 2028 (Final report)
Funding Amounts: $10,000 per award for 12 months; two awards annually
Summary: Supports early-career researchers conducting observational studies or randomized controlled trials on physical activity, health outcomes, and public health issues.
Key Information: Applicants must be within seven years of their first terminal degree and ACSM national members in good standing.
Description
The Paffenbarger-Blair Fund for Epidemiological Research on Physical Activity is an early-career research grant administered by the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation. It encourages researchers at the beginning of their careers to become involved in physical activity epidemiology. Applications may focus on observational studies examining physical activity and health outcomes, or randomized controlled trials addressing physical activity and important public health issues.
The fund originated with a gift from Dr. Ralph S. Paffenbarger Jr., a co-recipient of the first Olympic Prize in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, who donated his share of the award to ACSM. The Foundation also expects recipients to share their funded research through presentations at a future ACSM Annual Meeting and related publications or presentations.
