Proposals may be submitted from universities, colleges, small businesses, for-profit and not-profit organisations.

They must be received via the body’s WADAGrants platform no later than 14 July.

The new Call has two categories: an open call, and one that specifically measures “the effectiveness of existing anti-doping strategies and interventions for athletes and for athlete support personnel”.

WADA said that proposals which demonstrate “partnerships and collaboration between research institutions and anti-doping organisations” would be “looked upon favourably during the decision-making process”.

Similarly, interdisciplinary proposals, drawing from multiple social science fields, were “encouraged”.

All proposals responding to the terms and conditions of the new Call will, WADA said, be evaluated by external peer-reviewers.

Their recommendations will be reviewed in turn by WADA’s social science research project review panel and by the WADA Education Committee, chaired by the former US hurdler Ed Moses, for recommendation finally to the agency’s Executive Committee.

Applicants will be notified of the results at the end of 2019.

WADA said that increasing and enhancing research-led anti-doping education was one of its strategic priorities.

Accordingly, its Education Committee is tasked with identifying relevant areas of social science research in the field of anti-doping to inform more effective doping prevention strategies.

WADA-supported research requires that anti-doping education programmes and initiatives be grounded in scientific knowledge and evidence.