As part of its commitment to furthering research in all areas of the Paralympic Movement, the IPC welcomes proposals in the areas of Para sport, athlete health, classification, coach education, sport counselling, assistive technology, athlete identity, marketing and branding, development and public awareness, as well as other relevant subject areas.

Research projects at the Paralympic Winter Games will only be considered if no alternative means of meeting the research objectives can be achieved through data collection at other events or competitions.

All research approved by the IPC must "comply with internationally recognised ethical standards and research practices, and must be independently funded through institutions or third party grant applications".

The IPC launched the same process prior to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Being able to conduct research in the Brazilian city was subject to four conditions.

The principal investigator must have had a proven record of data collection in sport or at major events and must have the backing of the sport(s) to which the project applies along with supporting letters as evidence.

Successful accomplishment of the project must not be possible at any event other than the Paralympics and the research must not interfere with the complex organisational and logistical requirements associated with hosting the Paralympic Games.

Enquiries and applications should be sent to Peter van de Vliet ([email protected]), the IPC's medical and scientific director.

The deadline for receipt of applications is March 15, 2017.

Details on the application procedure, timelines, the IPC Research Application Forms, as well as examples of previously approved research projects can be found on the IPC website here.