WADA is committed to improving evidence-based doping prevention strategies through social science research.
Understanding the fundamental differences between athletes who choose to compete clean and those who resort to doping or why some athletes decided to dope – despite being well aware of the harmful effects of doping and of anti-doping rules - will assist in ensuring that doping prevention strategies are effective and efficient.
Social Science Research Grant Program
WADA’s Social Science Research Grant Program was created to ensure that preventive anti-doping education programs were designed using an evidence-based approach. Since the creation of the Program in 2005, 34 projects have been funded with awards surpassing the US$ one million mark.
Consult the Applying for a Research Grant section from the menu on the right for more information.
Target Research Program
To further ensure effective doping prevention strategies, WADA’s Education Committee identifies specific areas that they feel require additional evidence in the way of social science research.
Consult the Target Research section from the menu on the right for more information.
Young Investigator Award
This Award aims to encourage masters level students to focus their area of research on anti-doping issues.
WADA will allocate four prizes of US$2,000 each for outstanding and innovative research projects that will contribute to the development of effective doping prevention strategies.
Consult the Young Investigator Award section from the menu on the right for more information.
Researcher’s Directory
As part of the development strategy of its Social Science Research Grant Program, WADA created the Researcher’s Directory, which has two main objectives:
- To develop a global network of researchers whose work focuses on the social sciences side of anti-doping; and
- To increase visibility and awareness of social science research being conducted/published on anti-doping related topics
Consult the Researcher's Directory section from the menu on the right for more information.
Funded Research Projects
This section includes the summary or the research report of all the WADA funded research projects since 2005.
Consult the Funded Research Projects section from the menu on the right for more information.