The protection of clean athletes through the IOC research fund.

The IOC as the leader of the Olympic movement and the sport sector at large is committed to the protection of clean athletes for the sake of the future of sport and for the protection of athletes’ health. To this end, the IOC has committed US $20 million to research the protection of athletes and fair play, half of which will be used for programmes to combat match fixing and illegal betting and half for research into anti-doping. WADA, jointly funded by the IOC and governments, has successfully funded research over the past 10 years. To further strengthen these efforts, governments who are WADA signatories have been invited to match this extra IOC contribution to create a combined fund from the IOC and governments that will be administered by WADA. Any IOC funds that are not matched by a commitment from the governments will be distributed independently by the IOC Medical Commission. The strategy for distribution of these independent funds is to complement but not duplicate existing anti-doping research programmes. The priority is innovative and novel research in all areas of antidoping, which have the potential to lead to a significant change in the way anti-doping programmes are carried out and will have a direct impact on the daily life of the clean athlete. Anti-doping organisations agree that alternative strategies are needed, so this investment aims at supporting new ideas and novel anti-doping practices. Particular priority will be given to research that could lead to an enhancement of the life of clean athletes, that focuses on prevention strategies, that evaluates the effectiveness of current anti-doping programmes or that develops alternative approaches to anti-doping, such as the use of information technology, intelligence and new media. Multicentre and collaborative projects are encouraged, as well as proposals from scientists who have never before been involved in anti-doping research. Grants will not normally be given to fund work of commercial companies or where the research should be the responsibility of other bodies. Areas that are not a priority for the IOC-independent research fund are the assessment of ergogenic agents, gene doping or laboratory-based research to improve the sensitivity of current analytical techniques. These areas are typically supported by WADA research grants. The IOC plans to distribute all grants by 2016 for projects lasting up to 3 years. In this way, the fund will have the best chance of making a difference by inspiring new ideas towards a common goal with WADA and all stakeholders whose aim is the protection of clean athletes. Call for applications: http://www. olympic.org/news/call-for-applications-antidoping-research-fund/235010