High Performance Certification LEAD Parasport Practitioner Development RED-S Women in Sport Science (WiSS) Data Literacy Initiative CONNECT

Women in Sport Science (WiSS)

The Women in Sport Science (WiSS) Mentorship Program has been designed to provide women sport scientists, particularly in disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, the opportunity to engage with mentors in order to advance their career development and gain industry knowledge that will contribute to the high-performance sport environment.   

About WiSS Mentorship Program: 

The WiSS Mentorship Program aims to provide women sport scientists in high-performance sport with opportunities to: 

  1. Build a support network
  2. Broaden their understanding of sport science leadership  
  3. Develop knowledge of other sports and sport organizations 
  4. Learn from others’ experiences, challenges and successes 
  5. Develop a career plan, identify personal strengths and areas for improvement.
  6. Contribute to the advancement of women sport scientists in the Canadian sport system 


Frequently Asked Questions

Candidates for the 2021-2022 WiSS Mentorship cohort as a mentee must meet the following eligibility criteria:
  1. Be a woman in good standing with the relevant certification body for a sport science or sport medicine discipline in Canada.
  2. Be a HP Practitioner member with Sport Scientist Canada. Please visit this link to join if you are not yet a member: https://www.sportscientistcanada.ca/en-CA/Membership
  3. Possess a minimum of 3 years working as a practitioner or administrator with Olympic and/or Paralympic programs with a NSO, COPSIN institution, or international equivalent at a minimum of FTE 0.5.
  4. Currently engaged in a practitioner role within the team and/or organization with which they work
  5. Must be committed to advancing their career with the goal of a leadership role in the Canadian Sport System in the future.
  6. Preference will be given to women in sport science & medicine disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, especially at a leadership level within the discipline. These include but are not limited to: strength & conditioning, biomechanics, performance analysis, data sciences, etc.
Mentors can be men or women with a passion for contributing to the advancement of women sport scientists in Canadian high-performance sport. The individual may work for an NSO or the COPSI network but may also be external to the Canadian sport system but have valuable knowledge or skills to impart. Mentors are selected on an individual basis and evaluated on characteristics, experience, and/or attributes that complement the goals and development needs of the specific mentee. If you are interested in applying to be a mentor, please contact Alayne Hing at ahing@csicalgary.ca.
  • Introductory mentoring workshop for mentees and mentors
  • Virtual mentorship module for mentors
  • Comprehensive mentorship/mentee training by facilitator
  • Leadership workshop for mentees, facilitated by the Humphrey Group
  • Monthly video calls between mentor and mentee pairs
  • Ongoing mentee engagement in professional development & career planning with mentor

Schedule for WiSS 2021-2022 Cohort: 

July 7, 2021: Applications for WiSS Mentorship program opens 

August 13, 2021:  Applications for WiSS Mentorship program closes 

September 2021:  Mentees are confirmed, and nominees are notified of their status 

September 2021: Mentors are identified and confirmed 

September 2021-March 2022: Virtual kickoff, ongoing mentorship and mentee-mentor pair calls, mentor & mentee training sessions, leadership training for mentees, etc.

March 2022: Post-program debrief call and survey 

Schedule for WiSS 2022-2023 Cohort: TBD 


How to Apply

To submit your WiSS application please use the following link


Mentee Application: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JgtDnZAHtUKQaROvTQP7Z_Jvga828IZLgvWTgfP6PV5UN0dXTDQ2SjBIWlNDWDgyOEVXVTMyR1I5RS4u


Mentor Application: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JgtDnZAHtUKQaROvTQP7Z_Jvga828IZLgvWTgfP6PV5UM0k1RDRDUzkwUElXSlhMOEVNMzFRUUtRVC4u

Key Dates

September, 2021: Mentees are confirmed and notified of their status
September-October 2021: Mentors are confirmed and notified of their status

For more 2021-2022 WiSS program information please see the following 'Program Information' link