Obvia has received funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the World Anti-Doping Agency
As part of a collaboration agreement between the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Obvia is proud to have been awarded $176,544 in funding to carry out a research project aimed at identifying the most promising recent artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the anti-doping community.
This study will be conducted under the scientific direction of Hazar Haidar, co-director of the Ethics, Governance, and Democracy research track and professor in the Department of Literature and Humanities at the Université du Québec à Rimouski, and Charles Dupras, a member of Obvia and professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the School of Public Health at the Université de Montréal.
An in-depth analysis of the benefits and risks
Through literature reviews and consultations with experts and stakeholders, a comprehensive assessment report will be produced to present the results of an in-depth and integrated analysis of the benefits and risks associated with the use of AI in WADA’s operations and within the anti-doping community.
This financial support will enable the Obvia research team to immerse itself in the reality of professionals committed to preserving the integrity of sports through anti-doping efforts and thus contribute to advancing knowledge on the priority issues identified by WADA.
This project underscores the importance of collaborative research between the scientific community and the anti-doping community in addressing emerging challenges related to the deployment of AI.
About the Partnership Between the FRQ and WADA
This partnership aims to advance scientific knowledge applicable to the field of anti-doping through the contribution of Quebec research networks to WADA’s research activities. The agreement provides for the implementation of research initiatives related to the integration of artificial intelligence, the improvement of analytical methods for biomarker detection, and the application of social sciences to the prevention of inadvertent doping.
