As emerging technologies transform life science research and broaden access to advanced capabilities to engineer living systems, responsible innovation hinges on funding decisions that carefully weigh potential benefits against inherent risks. The Bio Funders Compact (BFC) is designed to address this challenge.
The Bio Funders Compact is a public commitment by life science funders to incorporate biosecurity into their decision-making processes. The Compact constitutes an impactful intervention at the early funding stage in the bioscience and biotechnology research and development life cycle to prevent unduly risky projects from moving forward. On October 29th, 2024, NTI | bio and CEPI convened the inaugural Bio Funders Forum, a venue for funders of life science research to share best practices and discuss challenges and opportunities for embedding biosafety and biosecurity best practices into their work.
This convening brought together leaders of the founding signatories of the Bio Funders Compact — CEPI, Sentinel Bio, and the Global Health Security Fund — as well as several other influential life science funders and non-governmental organizations, including the Kavli Foundation, Open Philanthropy, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, CARB-X, and PhRMA.
Participants shared innovative solutions that incentivize safe and secure research and address emerging risks. They explored approaches that organizations could take to implement BFC commitments, such as, CEPI’s recently launched Biosecurity Strategy which embeds equitable approaches to biosecurity into its operating model to address assessed risks and to achieve the goals set out in the 100 Days Mission. Participants highlighted their unique challenges and potential solutions in assessing and mitigating risks amid rapid technological advances in DNA synthesis, AI-enabled biodesign tools, and other key areas. Participants discussed, for example, options to include DNA synthesis screening requirements in future grant agreements. Active discussions and information sharing among participants highlighted a growing commitment by research funders to safeguard life science advances against deliberate or accidental misuse.
NTI | bio and CEPI will continue to convene the Forum to bring together global funders of life science research, fostering a collaborative approach to biosafety and biosecurity and promoting adherence to Bio Funders Compact commitments. By sharing best practices and proactively addressing emerging challenges, funders and biosecurity experts can contribute to a future where, life science research and development advances safely and responsibly. This important dialogue will continue at the next Bio Funders Forum meeting in early 2025.
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Amid rapid advances in bioscience and as artificial intelligence reshapes global technological capabilities, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA) are jointly calling for action to strengthen biosecurity and oversight and engage in responsible practices to prevent accidents or misuse.
New NTI | bio paper calls on tool developers and other AIxBio stakeholders to implement a managed access approach—allowing only validated users to access those biological AI models that contribute to biosecurity risks—to help reduce the risk that such tools will be deliberately misused to cause harm.
A statement by Jaime M. Yassif, PhD, vice president, NTI Global Biological Policy and Programs.
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