RESPONSE - Research Group for Sport and Society

The research group was established in 2018 and has since engaged in targeted research and development activities. We have an internationally leading research environment in sports technology, innovation, and digitalization in sport. In addition, our researchers possess expertise across a wide range of topics related to the role and significance of sport in society.

Our research focuses on:

• Social inequality and exclusion from sport
• Gender and equality in sport
• Children’s and youth sport
• Sport audiences
• Esports and the digitalization of sport
• Media, social media, and the communication of sport
• Sport leadership and organization
• Elite sport and sporting events
• Environment and sustainability in sport
• Sports technology and innovation
• Movement cultures, aesthetics, and nature-based experiences
• Sport and leisure policy

As a research environment, we place strong emphasis on internationalization and research dissemination. We therefore aim to attract international visiting scholars two to four times per year. Our members participate annually in international research conferences and research stays abroad. To disseminate our research, we launched the podcast RESPONSECAST in 2022, which now has five seasons.

More information about RESPONSE:

• Website: Research Group for Sport and Society
• Podcast: RESPONSECAST
• Instagram
• Facebook

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  Management:

  • Research group leader: Anne Tjønndal
  • Vice group leader: Frida Austmo Wågan

  Members:

  • Dagmar Dahl
  • Egil Trasti Rogstad
  • Line Dverseth Tjærandsen
  • Mads Skauge
  • Maja Nilssen
  • Thor Atle Thøring
  • Kim-Andrè Støvseth
  • Kristian Kjølstad Sigvartsen
  • Sigbjørn Børreson Skirbekk
  • Stian Røsten
  • Emma Wulff Ginnerup
  • Daniele Canini
  • Sean Heath

  Visiting Scholars and International researchers associated with RESPONSE in 2026:

  • Thibault Fouquaert, Gent universitet, Belgia
  • Mayte Ortiz Romero, University of Seville, Spain
  • Clément Le Bars, Brest University, France
  • Penelope Murdock, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany
  • Usva Friman, University of Turku, Finland
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  Organisation, leadership and working life

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  Sport and Work

• Activities and events in 2026Copy linkCopied
  • 10–12 June 2026: RESPONSE will host its own session at the Seventeenth International Conference on Sport & Society (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer).
  • The book Olympic and Paralympic Sport in Transition: Innovation, Sustainability, and Future Directions, a collaborative project with Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and Aarhus University, will be launched. Several members of the research group have contributed individual chapters to the volume
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  • One of our members is the first Norwegian swimmer to cross the world’s strongest tidal current, the Saltstraumen. She is also a double Scandinavian Champion (2024 & 2025) in winter swimming and a two‑time finisher of the 24 km Kuusamo Open Water Swim.
  • One of our members has competed in the Backyard Ultra World Championships and has multiple finishes of over 200 km in various ultrarunning formats (Backyard Ultra and 24‑hour races) over the past two years
  • One of our members serves on the board of Bodø/Glimt.
  • One of our members has served on the VAR committee and is actively engaged in the Bodø/Glimt supporter community.
  • One of our members sits on the Norwegian national team selection committee for uphill and mountain running and has accompanied the national team as support staff at both the European and World Championships.
  • One of our members previously served on the board of the International Boxing Association, coaches in a national development program for female boxers, and won the Norwegian Championship twice as an athlete.
  • One of our members is a former Nordic Champion in floorball.
  • One of our members has an impressive sneaker collection.
  • One of our members has visited and spoken with the King of Norway in his home.
  • One of our members has a tattoo inspired by the Dune novels.
  • One of our members never lets a good pop‑culture or film reference go to waste, no matter how academic the conversation.
  • One of our members has twice been head coach for teams that won the Italian Youth Basketball Championship.
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