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FIDES PDP Female Inclusion and DEvelopment in Sport – Performance Development Program

Duration: 01.01.2023 – 31.12.2028
Project type: Research project
Affiliation: Department of Sport Science and Physical Education

The project aims to examine the factors that influence the developmental process and realization of athletic potential among girls and women (female athletes) in Norwegian elite sport. It combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore development pathways, barriers related to performance development, and experiences of being a girl or woman in the elite sports context. The study applies a biopsychosocial approach and seeks to identify both individual and structural factors that may influence sustainable performance development and long-term participation in sport.

Contact persons

Silvana Bucher Sandbakk UiA Project Leader
Bård Erlend Solstad UiA Researcher

Background

This research project aims to map barriers and opportunities for performance development among Norwegian elite athletes and to revise and further develop the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports’ (Olympiatoppen) and national sport federations’ development philosophy and athlete development models with a gender perspective.

The project is led by Associate Professor Bård Erlend Solstad, Professor Stephen Seiler, Professor Monica K. Torstveit, and Postdoctoral Fellow Silvana Bucher Sandbakk, all from the University of Agder.

Purpose

The overall goal of the project is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the developmental pathways of Norwegian female athletes on their way to the world elite and to examine the barriers and opportunities they encounter within biological, psychological, and social (biopsychosocial) dimensions.

Project description

Performance in elite sport develops through complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social (biopsychosocial) factors. However, much of sports science research has traditionally relied on group studies within isolated areas, which fails to capture the integrated nature of athlete development. This reductionist approach is reinforced by a historical and ongoing gender imbalance in research, as most studies have been conducted on male athletes.

For female athletes, performance development is further influenced by sex- and gender-specific factors, including physiological processes, structural conditions, and cultural expectations. Despite increased attention to women in elite sport, research in this area remains fragmented and often lacks interdisciplinary integration. This limits the applicability of research findings to real-world sporting contexts and makes it difficult to provide research-based support tailored to female athletes.