2026 Social Science Research Grant Program

WADA is the leading authority for anti-doping worldwide. WADA seeks to protect the integrity of sport by promoting, coordinating, and monitoring activities that contribute to the prevention of doping. As part of this, it plays a key role in facilitating research, including social science research. Research is prominent in WADA’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan as a key initiative of its ‘Lead’ strategic priority. It sets a clear focus for stakeholders – the need for ‘impactful research’ that helps us achieve our vision of doping-free sport. Leveraging data to enable more informed decision making across the system is also a strategic priority. 

The Grant Program is organized into three distinct tiers of investment, each corresponding to the scale, scope, and complexity of the proposed research initiatives. The tier designation reflects both the magnitude of financial support available and the expected impact of research. For instance, projects of a preliminary or exploratory nature are more suitably positioned within the lower tiers, whereas extensive, multi-year investigations with significant disciplinary or cross-disciplinary impact align with the higher tiers. This tiered structure ensures that application requirements are proportionate to the scope of the proposed work, thereby enhancing equity, methodological rigor, and inclusivity, while avoiding a uniform approach that may disadvantage projects of differing capacities.