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.

A chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) exercise with the Support Forces of Ukraine.

▲ Photo by Mil.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons


About the author

Portrait

Christian Ruhl

Global Catastrophic Risks Lead

Christian Ruhl is a Senior Program Associate for Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness at Open Philanthropy, and has been the Fund Manager for the Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR) Fund since the fund’s inception in 2022. Christian was the GCR Lead at Founders Pledge between 2021 and 2025. Prior to that, he was the Global Order Program Manager at Perry World House, the University of Pennsylvania's global affairs think tank, where he managed the research theme on “The Future of the Global Order: Power, Technology, and Governance.” Christian received two master's degrees from the University of Cambridge, one in History and Philosophy of Science and one in International Relations and Politics, and a BA from Williams College.