About SHARP

The SHARP Story

In October 2010, we announced a unique partnership with the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology and its Institute for Research on Women and Gender to establish a center for research on all aspects of girls’ and women’s participation in sports and physical activity.  The center is housed in IRWG’s offices in Lane Hall at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

SHARP was created to generate rigorous, interdisciplinary social, psychological, and biomedical research on issues related to sports, physical activity, and gender across the lifespan. Further, the findings from SHARP-sponsored research will be used to inform key policy makers and to advocate for social change.

SHARP's Mission

• SHARP will commission, produce, and disseminate evidence-based research that will enhance the scope and quality of girls’ and women’s experiences with sports and physical activity.
  
• As part of its research mission, SHARP will examine the changing opportunities for women’s and girls’ participation in sports and physical activity, as well as the barriers to participation that women and girls face.
  
• SHARP will further the understanding of the long-term implications of sports activities on women’s and girls’ lives.
  
• SHARP will identify new trends and issues as they emerge.
  
• SHARP will alert the media, spark public debate, inform policy making, and foster positive educational outcomes, as part of the research process.