Home / Focus Areas / Global Catastrophic Risks / Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness

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iGEM — Biological Weapons Convention Verification Project

Organization Name 
International Genetically Engineered Machine Foundation
Award Date 
11/2021
Grant Amount 
$300,000
Purpose 
To support work on safety and security.
Topic (focus area) 
Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness

Grant Investigator: Andrew Snyder-Beattie

This page was reviewed but not written by the grant investigator. International Genetically Engineered Machine Foundation staff also reviewed this page prior to publication.

Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $300,000 over two years to the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation to support a project, led by Piers Millett, on verification of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The BWC, enacted in 1972, bans the development and use of biological weapons, which we believe have the potential to cause significant harm. Verification of compliance with the BWC has been chronically neglected.

This follows our April 2020 support and falls within our focus area of biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.