WADA publishes 2025-2029 Social Science Research Strategy and announces research projects funded through its 2025 Grant Program

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to publish its 2025-2029 Social Science Research (SSR) Strategy, which builds on the success of the 2020-2024 Strategy and aims to further embed SSR into anti-doping efforts. With the understanding that doping is a complex behavioral issue that is influenced by social, psychological, cultural, economic, and systemic factors, WADA has responded by elevating SSR at a strategic level, expanding its SSR agenda, and forming global partnerships to strengthen the research that can provide evidence-informed approaches to clean sport and doping prevention.  

The Strategy development was initiated in consultation with nearly 60 academics, through discussions held at WADA’s 2024 SSR Symposium, and progressed under the guidance of WADA’s SSR Expert Advisory Group (EAG) with oversight from the Agency’s Education Committee. Both groups endorsed the Strategy prior to its approval by WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) in March 2025. 

Background 

The first SSR Strategy was instrumental in shifting WADA’s role from a passive funder to a proactive leader in the field of SSR as it relates to anti-doping. In the five-year period the Strategy was in effect, WADA achieved 92% of its targeted outputs, including nearly doubling the number of SSR projects in non-European countries, establishing a Taskforce on Unintentional Doping, creating a public research database on WADA’s website, and launching the SSR Collaboration Platform. The outcomes of these initiatives demonstrate the growing impact that SSR is having on policy and practice and its potential for greater impact. 

Alongside these achievements are also ongoing challenges, including significant funding limitations, an inability to conduct global or large scale SSR projects regularly, disseminating research findings effectively, and barriers to participation in research.  

The new Strategy aims to both address these challenges and build on the achievements through six strategic priorities, divided into two overarching themes — ‘People’ and ‘Systems’. 

2025-2029 Strategy  

Under the People theme, WADA aims to: 

• Protect athletes by identifying risk factors and supporting evidence-based prevention strategies. 
• Enhance the research community by fostering mentorship, networking, and collaboration amongst experts
• Increase research capacity and capability by expanding funding opportunities and building institutional partnerships. 

Under the Systems theme, WADA aims to: 

• Generate and exchange knowledge for impact. 
• Invest strategically in social science research by optimizing the Grant Program and commissioning high-impact studies. 
• Leverage resources through partnerships by collaborating with international organizations and external funding bodies. 

Moving forward, WADA will implement these priorities through targeted deployment of resources and expertise, expanded research networks, and enhanced dissemination strategies. By reinforcing evidence-informed decision making, athlete protection, and cross-sector collaboration, the 2025-2029 SSR Strategy will look to play a pivotal supporting role in shaping the future of the anti-doping system and its protection of clean sport. 

Read the full 2025-2029 SSR Strategy   

2025 SSR Grant Program

WADA’s SSR Grant Program supports several strategic priorities of the SSR Strategy and plays a key role in funding and facilitating SSR that is relevant to local, regional, and global contexts. WADA is therefore pleased to publish details regarding the nine research projects that were approved to receive a total of USD 464,765 in funding through the 2025 SSR Grant program.   

The projects are being led by researchers based in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, with research spanning every WADA region.  

All SSR projects undergo a review process led by WADA’s SSREAG, including a technical analysis and external peer reviews, to determine the funding recommendations based on the scientific merit as well as other key criteria. The funding recommendations are then shared and discussed with WADA’s Education Committee prior to presenting the final recommendations to the ExCo at their March meeting for approval.  

WADA’s website has a page dedicated to WADA-funded SSR projects, which can be used by the community to access completed research projects, searchable by author, region and topic. For further information regarding WADA’s SSR Strategy or the SSR Grants Program, please visit the Social Science Research section on WADA’s website or contact WADA’s Education Department at social.scienceresearch@wada-ama.org. 

Call for Proposals for 2026 Grant Program 

Please note that WADA’s Call for Proposals for its 2026 SSR Grant Program will be launched the week of 15 September 2025, and a webinar will be held in October to support prospective applicants in navigating the application process. Further details will be shared in the coming weeks.