Who funds physical activity research?

We count 71 funded physical activity projects, active between 2021 and 2032, from 6 funders. The most came from EU · MSCA (22 projects), Wellcome (16 projects) and EU · ERC (7 projects). The median award is $2.5M, across the 59 of 71 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

71

Funders

6

Median award

$2.5M

Open calls now

2

Top funders of physical activity research

Projects whose title or summary mentions physical activity. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open physical activity funding calls

2 open calls mention physical activity today.

• Longitudinal population studies strategic prioritisation exercise
  Medical Research Council (MRC)Not specifiedDeadline: November 17, 2026 ·
  Real odds: About 1 in 5 funded (19% · Medical Research Council (MRC), all funding decisions, 2024-25)
• 2027 Call under Academy Programme for Sport Science and Physical Activity (ACTIVE)
  Research Council of FinlandNot specifiedDeadline: November 18, 2026 ·

Real odds

• About 1 in 5 funded · 19% · Medical Research Council (MRC), all funding decisions, 2024-25 · UKRI investment and outputs data, table 2.1

Published success rates for the programs behind the open calls above: the share of applications the funder funded, program-wide, not for this topic.

Forecast: announced, not open yet

1 forecast call on physical activity. Funders publish forecasts before a call opens; you can't apply to these yet, and dates can change.

• ForecastRehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Recreational, Sport, and Exercise Technologies for People with Disabilities
  Administration for Community Living$970,000 – $975,000Expected to open February 15, 2027

Funded physical activity projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• Mechanisms for population strategies to prevent diet- and activity-related chronic disease
  UKRI · MRC · £2,407,243 · ends 2030
• Mechanisms Mediating Summer Heat Effects on Mental Health: Examining Sleep, Physical Activity, and Cognitive Pathways in Young Adults with Affective Disorders
  Wellcome · £2,724,790 · ends 2030
• Study in Parkinson Disease of Exercise Phase 3 Clinical Trial: SPARX3
  NIH · NINDS · $3,136,413 · ends 2030
• Does switching to paid family care (versus paid aides) increase time at home or reduce publicly funded healthcare costs for Medicaid waiver beneficiaries with disability?
  NIH · NIA · $3,272,015 · ends 2030
• Neuro-Energetic and Oxidative Measure of Follow-up Longitudinal Assessment of Moderate Exercise
  NIH · NIA · $3,253,590 · ends 2030
• Adapting an Evidence-Based Physical Activity Intervention to Prevent Frailty and Functional Decline in Older Women Living with HIV
  NIH · NIA · $3,781,063 · ends 2030
• Research Redesign to Reduce Chronic Conditions in Families
  NIH · NCATS · $3,312,892 · ends 2030
• REU Site: Hands-On Research in Federated Learning Security through Red Team vs. Blue Team Exercises
  NSF · CISE · $460,922 · ends 2029
• Adaptive Troubleshooting in Engineering: Developing Cognitive Flexibility to Address Complex Challenges Among Undergraduates
  NSF · EDU · $399,935 · ends 2029
• The Impact of the 11th Street Bridge Park on the Built Environment and Community Health: Washington, D.C.
  NIH · NINR · $3,399,035 · ends 2029

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “exercise or physical activity”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.