The North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (NAFAPA) is launching a new three-part Early Career Development Series to support students and early-career researchers in the field of adapted physical activity. The series will begin on October 23, 2025, with the webinar Pitching on Paper, focused on writing strong personal statements for fellowships, PhD applications, and postdoctoral opportunities. The session will provide practical guidance on how to clearly and concisely communicate research goals, experience, and impact.

Special Olympics will host the 2025 Coach Webinar Series this October, offering two free sessions for coaches around the world. Presented by Gallagher, this initiative is part of an ongoing effort to recognize the important role of coaches and support their continued professional development. The series includes two live webinars: October 14, 2025, 10:00 AM (Dublin Time) – Coaching Standards at International Competitions…

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched its first-ever Impact Strategy, a major step toward addressing persistent inequalities experienced by the world's 1.3 billion persons with disabilities—representing over 15% of the global population. The strategy identifies four priority areas: Para Sport for Development – expanding opportunities for participation in Para sport and physical activity at all levels and settings.

On November 4 and 5, 2025, the Faculty of Physical Education at UNICAMP (University of Campinas, Brazil) will host the “Seminário Educação Física Inclusiva e Pesquisa,” a two-day event focused on inclusive practices and research in physical education. The program begins on November 4 at 9:00 AM with Dr. Justin Haegele (Old Dominion University, USA) and Dr. Anthony Maher (Leeds Beckett University, UK) presenting on inclusion in physical education and research.

The Adaptive Sport and Physical Activity Special Interest Group of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) will host a webinar titled Inside the Deaflympics: Sport, Culture, and Mental Performance on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Organized in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Deaflympics, this event will bring together experienced panelists to examine the historical, cultural, and psychological dimensions of Deaf sport.

Dr. Robert Steadward, a global leader in adapted physical activity and disability sport, delivered the 2025 Rarick Memorial Lecture, marking a significant moment for the field. Recognized for his lifelong contributions to inclusion, sport development, and athlete empowerment, Dr. Steadward is the founding President of the International Paralympic Committee and a key figure in the advancement of opportunities for persons with disabilities through sport.

The Jordan Paralympic Committee has officially launched Adapted Sports Nutrition, the first global platform dedicated to nutrition for athletes with disabilities. Developed under the supervision of nutrition specialist Tamara Al-Halaiqah, the platform addresses the specific nutritional needs of Paralympic athletes across various impairments and sports. This initiative aims to support athlete health, performance, and injury prevention through evidence-based and personalized nutrition plans.

The 17th International Symposium for Olympic and Paralympic Research will take place from February 18 to 20, 2026, in Naples, Italy. The event is organized by the International Centre for Olympic Studies (ICOS) at Western University in partnership with Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. This edition will focus on the theme “The Games in a Digital World: Human Flourishing, Olympic Values and Sustainability in the Age of AI.”

The North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (NAFAPA) will hold its 2026 Biennial Conference from July 28 to 31 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. The event will be hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Education. This four-day conference will bring together professionals, researchers, and students to share knowledge and promote best practices in adapted physical activity. The program will include scientific sessions, keynote presentations, and workshops aimed at advancing research and practice in the field. Further details on registration, abstract submission, and the full program will be published on the official website and social media channels.

The 2026 Move United Education Conference will take place from April 20 to 23 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with pre-conference workshops scheduled for April 18 to 20. Hosted by Spaulding Rehabilitation Adaptive Sports Centers, the conference will convene over 500 professionals from across the United States involved in adaptive sports and inclusive physical activity. Under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Communities,”

A temporary position is available for a Research Assistant within the Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, at the Tygerberg campus of Stellenbosch University. This opportunity offers a six-month appointment and is aligned with ongoing research efforts in adapted sports medicine and para sport initiatives. The selected candidate will join a leading international research group dedicated to advancing the understanding of health in athletes with disabilities.

Special Olympics International is seeking a Fitness Evaluation Consultant to contribute to the evaluation of fitness programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). This consultancy will support U.S.-based fitness evaluations, develop and refine assessment tools, and contribute to data analysis and research dissemination. The position will run from October 6, 2025, to July 31, 2026, with a total compensation of up to…

The city of Khorfakkan will host the Khorfakkan International Scientific Conference for Persons with Disabilities and Adapted Physical Education, gathering international researchers, practitioners, and policymakers under the theme: "Sustainable Physical Activity and Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities." The event aims to serve as a central platform for presenting research, sharing best practices, and advancing inclusive policies and programs that promote physical activity and improved quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched a new grant programme to support multi-disciplinary research aimed at strengthening classification systems in Para sports. With funding of up to EUR 250,000 per project, this initiative will be available over the next four years to International Federations (IFs), International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs), and Recognised International Federations (RIFs), in collaboration with the scientific community.

The Department of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health at the University of Graz, Austria, is inviting applications for a University Assistant position with a completed doctorate (m/f/d). This full-time postdoctoral position (40 hours per week) offers a fixed-term contract of six years, with an annual gross salary of €69,060.59. The position focuses on research and teaching in sport and movement pedagogy, with opportunities to pursue independent research projects, contribute to existing projects, and work on a habilitation.

Active Disability Ireland has announced the recruitment of three key leadership positions aimed at strengthening its programmes and services across Ireland. Applications are invited for the roles of Marketing and Communications Lead, Sport Inclusion Lead, and Active Healthy Me Programme Lead. The closing date for submissions is 12:00 noon on Friday, 15 August. The Marketing and Communications Lead will oversee the organisation’s marketing, media, and communication strategies to increase public awareness and ensure consistent representation of its inclusive values and impact.

The International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) held its 32nd General Assembly on 20 July 2025 at the German Sport University Cologne. The event brought together nearly 50 delegates from around the world, both onsite and online, to review past work and set goals for the next term. A main outcome of the Assembly was the election of all members of the Executive Board and Development Committee.

A new opportunity is open for research partners to support a project focused on understanding intersectionality in relation to disability inclusion. The objective is to examine how intersectionality is defined and applied in place-based working across the sport and physical activity sector, particularly at the local level. This initiative seeks to build on existing strategies aimed at reducing inequalities in access to sport and physical activity, especially for disabled individuals whose experiences may be shaped by multiple social factors such as gender, background, income, and location.

The VISTA 2025 Conference will be held from 7–10 December 2025 in Egypt, gathering researchers, professionals, and stakeholders to discuss evidence-based developments in Para sport. Abstract submissions are now open for oral presentations, posters, symposia, and workshops. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 30 September 2025, and accepted contributions will address themes relevant to sport for persons with disabilities, performance enhancement, classification, and athlete health.

The International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA) will be held in Rimini, Italy, from June 25 to 29, 2029. The announcement was made during the 2025 ISAPA edition in Tralee, Ireland. This biennial event brings together over 400 participants, including academics, researchers, and professionals in the field of Adapted Physical Activity (APA), a discipline focused on movement programmes that promote well-being and address motor challenges for individuals with specific needs.

The latest issue of Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (APAQ), Volume 42, Issue 3 (July 2025), has been released, presenting a wide range of scholarly contributions aimed at advancing research and practice in the field of adapted physical activity. This issue opens with an editorial by Justin A. Haegele and Joonkoo Yun addressing the future direction of adapted physical activity in the United States.

A new full-time opportunity is now open at the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) in Brisbane, Australia, for an Accredited Exercise Physiologist or Strength and Conditioning Coach to join the QAS Para Unit. The position, offered on a contract basis, includes a salary range of $99,348 to $108,192 AUD per annum, plus superannuation and leave loading. Applications close on 14 July 2025.

The 25th International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA) 2025 successfully took place at the Munster Technological University, Kerry North Campus, in Tralee, Ireland. ISAPA 2025 brought together nearly 500 delegates from across the globe. This landmark event brought together international experts, researchers, educators, policymakers, and practitioners dedicated to advancing physical activity and sport for individuals with disabilities. For the first time, ISAPA 2025 united five key initiatives into a single, comprehensive program: 1.

A new research-based Masters opportunity is now open for applications at University College Dublin, in collaboration with Paralympics Ireland. The project focuses on forecasting performance trends in Para athletics, a field with increasing visibility but limited data-driven literature. With the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Paralympic cycle and the launch of the Para Athletics Academy, this initiative aims to inform preparation for upcoming events such as the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.