New VOICEINSPORT Foundation Grant with Momentous Targets Gender Gap in Women’s Sport Science
VOICEINSPORT Foundation and founding partner Momentous launch the VISF Grant for Women in Sport Science Research to increase women-led studies and center girls and women in performance science, with the first award to researcher and former pro athlete Katie Rainsberger.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – December 15, 2025 – The VOICEINSPORT Foundation (VISF) today announced the launch of the VISF Grant for Women in Sport Science Research (the “VISF Grant”), a new multi-year grant program that funds women researchers – with a focus on former athletes and PhD candidates – who are advancing sport science for girls and women in sport.
The founding brand partner of the program is Momentous, whose investment is part of its Change the Ratio initiative, a $500,000 multi-year commitment to close the gender gap in health and performance science by funding research centered on female physiology.
Despite record growth in women’s sports, less than 6% of sports science and sports medicine research has been conducted on women athletes, leaving a major gap in understanding how girls and women actually train, compete, and recover. And of the studies that do focus on women, only about 20% are led by women researchers, reinforcing bias not just in the data, but in who asks the questions and designs the studies.
“Women athletes are still training in a system that was not built for them, from the data in the lab to the products on the shelf,” said Stef Strack, Founder & CEO of the VOICEINSPORT Foundation. “With the VISF Grant for Women in Sport Science Research and Momentous as our founding brand partner, we’re not only funding more sport science on women’s bodies – we’re changing who gets to lead that science. Former athletes and emerging women researchers should be at the center of the next generation of sport science, and this grant program makes that possible.”
Momentous as founding brand partner: Change the Ratio in action
Momentous’ founding support for the VISF Grant for Women in Sport Science Research builds on its Change the Ratio initiative, a $500,000 multi-year commitment to women-centered research and partnerships focused on female physiology.
“At Momentous, we believe true progress in performance science starts with equity – our mission is to deliver Performance for Life for all athletes,” said Naomi Clarkson, SVP Marketing, Momentous. “Through our partnership with the VOICEINSPORT Foundation and the VISF Grant for Women Researchers, we’re taking concrete action to change the ratio by funding women-led research and turning those insights into tools that help every athlete perform and thrive.”
First VISF Grant for Women Researchers awarded to former pro athlete and VOICEINSPORT Mentor Katie Rainsberger
The first recipient of the VISF Grant for Women Researchers is Katie Rainsberger, former professional middle-distance runner, 13-time NCAA All-American, former VOICEINSPORT Mentor, and current PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
Her VISF-supported doctoral work will focus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), hormonal fluctuations, and how they affect recovery in women athletes training and competing in Germany, generating practical insights for athletes, coaches, and support teams.
“As an athlete, I saw how risky it is when women are expected to fit into systems built on men’s data,” said Rainsberger. “This grant lets me ask the questions I needed earlier in my career – especially around REDs, menstrual cycle health, and exercise recovery to build evidence that truly centers women athletes. I’m grateful to the VOICEINSPORT Foundation and Momentous for backing women researchers so our work reaches the girls who need it most.”
Translating research into tools for girls in sport
The VISF Women in Sport Science Research Grant Program is a core part of VOICEINSPORT Foundation’s strategy to advance sport science and translate it into accessible education for girls in sport, not just peer-reviewed papers.
VISF’s first major research initiative, the Female Athlete VOICE Project, launched with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and members of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard, and the University of Washington, centers the lived experiences of women athletes and will drive an athlete-led research agenda on barriers in sport and performance. VISF is also partnering with the National Football League (NFL) on a research study focused on girls’ and women’s sport, to be completed and publicly shared in 2026.
To ensure findings don’t stay in journals, the VOICEINSPORT Foundation dedicates at least 10% of every sport science project to translational work – turning research into age-appropriate content, tools, and resources for girls in sport, delivered through public schools and the VOICEINSPORT platform.
“Closing the data gap is only half the job, the other half is getting that knowledge into the hands of a 15-year-old girl at practice,” said Strack. “With this grant program, Momentous’ Change the Ratio initiative, and our translational commitment, we’re building an ecosystem where women generate the research, girls see themselves in the science, and the industry moves toward evidence-based practice for women.”
A call to brands, institutions, and former athletes
The Momentous partnership represents a multi-year founding commitment to the VISF Grant for Women in Sport Science Research. The VOICEINSPORT Foundation now aims to expand the program with additional brands, leagues, institutions, and philanthropists that want to:
Fund women-centered sport science projects focused on female athletes across mind, body, nutrition, and menstrual health.
Invest directly in women researchers and former athletes who are leading the work.
Ensure that research is translated into practical tools for girls and women in sport through the VOICEINSPORT platform and public school distribution.
Organizations interested in supporting future grant cycles or co-funding specific research areas can contact info@voiceinsportfoundation.org.
About VOICEINSPORT Foundation
VOICEINSPORT Foundation (VISF) is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity on a mission to close the gap for girls and women in sport through innovative sport science research, educational content, and advocacy that takes action. VISF funds women-centered research across key pillars such as mind, body, nutrition, and menstruation; translates findings into accessible content for girls in sport; and drives systemic change through initiatives like the VIS Advocate Program, Title IX Micro Grant Program, and the Fair Play for Women Act. Founded in 2020 by sports industry executive and advocate Stef Strack, the Foundation is based in New York City. Learn more at voiceinsportfoundation.org and follow @voiceinsportfoundation on Instagram and LinkedIn. Learn more at www.voiceinsportfoundation.org
About Momentous
Momentous is a health and nutrition company headquartered in Park City, Utah, on a mission to empower the relentless pursuit of progress in health and performance. Offering high-quality supplements designed to enhance physical and cognitive well-being, Momentous partners with leading experts in performance athletics and science. The company sources best-in-class ingredients and holds its products to rigorous quality standards, including NSF Certified for Sport® across its portfolio. Momentous is a trusted partner of over 200 professional and collegiate sports programs in North America, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Military, developing products and solutions that help optimize human performance. Learn more at www.livemomentous.com.
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