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 Open Philanthropy's focus area of biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.