researchers and scientists can apply for a portion of a US$10m (£6.9m, €8.9m) fund being set aside by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to combat athlete doping.

The IOC’s Medical and Scientific Commission is asking for both science and social research in all areas of anti-doping which “have the potential to lead to significant change in the way anti-doping programmes are carried out”.

Interested parties will be able to bid for the money between 1 March and 2 May 2016.

The IOC will prioritise research which could lead to “transformational change” and the enhancement of the life of clean athletes, prevention strategies or more accurate alternative approaches to anti-doping.

“The strategy for distribution of this fund is to complement, but not duplicate, existing anti-doping research programmes,” the IOC said in a statement. “Anti-doping organisations agree that alternative strategies are needed.”

Areas of research that are not a priority are: the assessment of ergogenic agents; gene doping; and laboratory-based research to improve the sensitivity of current analytical techniques. Grants will not be given to fund the work of commercial companies or for routine anti-doping programmes.