Global Catastrophic Biological Risks: A Guide for Philanthropists

This report is intended as a detailed roadmap for philanthropists who want to do something about the global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs) humanity faces. It’s informed by semi-structured interviews and analysis of available data on funding and pandemic preparedness. We outline the problem: the expected cost of a biological catastrophe is immense; the threat landscape is rapidly changing; and existing resources do not prioritize catastrophic scenarios. High-consequence biological events like engineered pandemics are among the biggest threats to human life and modern civilization this century. Societal spending remains misallocated, even in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although governments and traditional philanthropists spend billions on public health and health security, they disproportionately neglect the most high-consequence threats. We outline the principles, heuristics, and tractable interventions that philanthropist should focus on, and discuss possible funding opportunities, to address the problem.