Australian laboratory targets drug cheats

Australia’s National Measurement Institute is supporting Australia’s fight against drugs in sport thanks to a US Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) grant.

Senator Carr commented on the grant, “The institute will use this grant to help improve drug tests and better identify drug cheats. This involves evaluating and refining current techniques that aim to detect the difference between naturally produced and synthetic hormones."

Partnership for Clean Competition is an innovative research funding group that aims to ensure integrity in sport by supporting high-quality, high-impact, novel research. Founded by the United States Olympic Committee, the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the Major League Baseball and the National Football League in 2008, Partnership for Clean Competition has awarded grants to, amongst others, King’s College, London and Stanford University.

The institute is the only laboratory in Oceania accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency - the body responsible for the promotion of the fight against doping in sport.

This grant complements funding previously awarded to the institute by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing under the Anti-Doping Research Program.