Distinctive Research
Vitality Academy explores individual, social and societal factors that could stimulate vulnerable, underprivileged groups into being more physically active, resilient and vital. With this unique holistic approach Vitality Academy aims to prevent unhealthy lifestyles that are fostered by the circumstances of a person’s life.
Redefining Research
Current research with a focus on physical activity / sport for vulnerable groups has a tendency to explore only the individual, or social influencers. It doesn’t consider the combination of individual, social and societal factors as a holistic influencer on vulnerable groups. This is mostly caused by limits in time frame, academic disciplinary orientation, and access to target groups (vulnerable, underprivileged, and urban).
New methodologies, technologies (real-time field data acquisition and sensing techniques), and interdisciplinary perspectives in research are needed to gain insight in the complexity of the issue. With these longitudinal and interdisciplinary approaches Vitality Academy will be able to achieve (inter)-nationally distinctive research and education on the topic.
Vitality Academy will be the only collaborative research program that studies sport and physical activity as a means for social resilience and public health from a theory-driven, critical and holistic approach that links and integrates humanities, social sciences, life sciences and engineering sciences.
Research Projects
Vitality Data Center project
The Vitality Data Center focuses on providing specific additions to sport and activity in public spaces, within the scope of the UU-UMCU-TU/e alliance, by using the readily available infrastructure and applications of the GGHDC (UU/UMCU) and the DSC/e (TU/e). These additions are key focal points of the alliance and are important policy issues for the municipalities of Eindhoven and Utrecht.
CISE
The research project Calibrating Inclusive Sporting Encounters focuses on the organisation of sporting encounters for different groups of people in socially vulnerable situations with a low socio-economic position.
Vital@2040
In this research project interventions are designed and evaluated with the aim to promote physical activity among children who behave less active than their peers.
Vitality Data Centre
In the Vitality Data Centre (VDC) project we develop a (data) platform that can facilitate various vitality-related ‘living lab’ projects.