Introduction In 2025, Oxford Biosecurity Group (OBG) launched a talent database for people who are interested in taking on leadership roles and launching organisations in biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.  This post gives more information about our talent database, what information we chose to include in it, and why we chose to include it. In future posts, we will summarise how we think the talent database can be best used by different people (e.g. members, recruiters,  funders) to meet their aims. Aims of Talent Database Oxford Biosecurity Group aims to increase the amount of impactful biosecurity work that is done in the long term.  The talent database is a way of facilitating this, by allowing for targeted connections to be built up between members, funders, recruiters and others in the broader biosecurity community.  Members of the talent database fill in information about themselves, which makes up their talent database profile. When designing the talent database, fields to be included in the talent database profile were selected primarily to meet the following aims:  [1] Catalyse members starting projects and organisations [1] Enable potential funders or donors to find impactful biosecurity opportunities to fund In addition to these, secondary and tertiary aims were designed for. These are to facilitate:  [2] Members conducting impactful individual or team research [2] Members scaling projects and organisations [3] Members finding opportunities (e.g. roles, further study)  [3] Recruiters from biosecurity or related organisations finding talent To date networking has been the main focus, although the talent database can also be used for referrals, and in future we plan to make more personalised introductions. Opportunities offered to members are iterated based on feedback, including from biosecurity and capacity building experts and from members of the talent database. When being onboarded members are asked what types of activities OBG could do that they would find particularly useful, and a feedback form is sent out to existing members once per onboarding period (every 2-3 months).  Information Included in the Talent Database Members initially fill in the information for their talent database profile when being onboarded, and can later update their profile by filling in a form. The  talent database profile is made up of four sections: [Member’s] background [Member’s] near-term goals and work/connection interests Areas in biosecurity [member is] interested in leading projects in (whether or not [they] have a specific project idea) (Optional section) Details about a specific project (or start-up) [member is] thinking about or planning on launching You can find a copy of the full talent database profile fields and options members can select from linked here .  Note: we are considering expanding to also having a researcher / general  talent database. The existing talent database has therefore been designed so that the profile of people in such a talent database would be the first two sections of the existing talent database profile.  Specific Questions and Rationale More information about the different sections, highlights of specific questions and our rationale for including them are given in this section. Section 1: Background This section includes basic information about the members’ background and experience,  in a way that is easily searchable.  Basic filtering can be done by the following fields:  Country   Note: members may also provide their city  in a separate field Career stage Professional/study experience Note: members can select from over 30 different options, from ‘biosecurity’ and ‘biosafety’ specifically, to various scientific, technical, policy and other backgrounds The ‘ current role’  field gives more information about the member’s work in a way that is easily to skim. The ‘ bio ’ field allows members to introduce themselves in more detail (in <200 words), and their LinkedIn  (or their CV if they do not have LinkedIn) is linked in the relevant field. The member can also use the ‘bio’ field to highlight information from elsewhere in the talent database, and/or provide additional information they want to highlight that is not otherwise included.  The ‘ preferred contact method ’ field makes it easier to reach out to specific members in a way likely to get a rapid response.  Section 2: Near-term goals and work/connection interests This section allows for more detailed filtering, based on the goals and interests of the members of the talent database.  The ‘ current near-term goals ’ field allows for filtering for specific actions the member would like to take in the near term, and is likely useful for anyone searching the talent database. Members can select one or more options from different types of goals, with more specific options for each:  Enter the biosecurity field Develop relevant skills Offer your skills Apply for academic study/roles Conduct research projects Start/scale a project or organisation Find a role Recruit for a role Provide funding The ‘biosecurity work interest area’  field allows for filtering for which areas of biosecurity the member is interested in doing work in. This could be full-time work (whether or not in a leadership role), or shorter term work such as contracting, or writing articles. Members can select one or more of 30 different options, ranging from general areas (e.g. biological weapons prevention & biodefense; health system strengthening) to more specific interventions (e.g. DNA synthesis screening; personal protective equipment), to expanding overall biosecurity capacity (e.g. stakeholder communication & outreach; talent, careers & training). This field was primarily included for referrals or recruitment to roles, rather than getting projects launched, as well as to allow for future expansion of the talent database for non-leadership roles without redesigning it.  The ‘start-up founder/co-founder interest’  field enables filtering for members: Who are already running a start-up (e.g. for advice) Who are actively setting up a start-up (e.g. for co-founder matching, peer support, looking for opportunities to join a founding team) Who want to start a start-up in the near- or longer term as a firm or potential plan (e.g. for networking with potential future co-founders).  Members can select more than one option, for example if they are both running an existing start-up, and would like to start another in the medium-longer term. This question is in this section both because it is about high-level ambitions rather than specifics of the start-up, and to allow for future expansion of the talent database (e.g. to help identify someone who does not yet have the experience to launch a relevant organisation, but may have a firm medium-longer term plan to do so). This section also has three main text-based questions to help with networking and making connections, which members are encouraged to spend more time on: Who I’m most interested in connecting with Description: Give details about the types of people you would find it most valuable to connect with (e.g. what skills or backgrounds do they have).  How others can help me Description: Give details about what specifically people can help you with. You might find it useful to connect this directly with your near- (or longer) term goals.  How I can help others Description: Give details about how specifically you might be able to help others, e.g. providing mentorship in a specific area, relevant experience you have for projects.  To find relevant people, these questions can be generally skimmed through, a keyword search can be done, or these questions can be looked at after initial filtering has been done.  Members can also give more details about their near-term goals, however this is an optional field, and more useful after filtering for near-term goals. Section 3: General Leadership Interest This section allows for filtering for members interested in leading projects in specific areas of biosecurity, and which aspects of that area they are interested in focussing on (e.g. technical, policy).  Projects could be led through OBG, with another organisation, through launching a start-up, or independently. This section is therefore also useful for referrals and for recruiting for leadership roles. Filtering can be done on the following:  Leadership interest area and primary leadership interest area:  Areas, and the main area, that the member is interested in leading a project in.  The same options can be selected as in the ‘biosecurity work interest area' field: Members can select from 30 different options, ranging from general areas (e.g. biological weapons prevention & biodefense; health system strengthening) to more specific interventions (e.g. DNA synthesis screening; personal protective equipment), to expanding overall biosecurity capacity (e.g. stakeholder communication & outreach; talent, careers & training). Many projects will intersect different areas, and for the ‘leadership interest area’ field members can select multiple options. However, having a single response in the ‘primary leadership interest area’ field makes filtering easier, and members are asked to select their best fit category.  Potential projects focus:  Aspects of the overall areas of biosecurity the member is interested in leading a project in. Members can select one or more of 11 different options, with examples given for each to help with selection and filtering. Options include: ‘Scientific (e.g. laboratory research, field studies)’, ‘Legal & regulatory (e.g. compliance analyses, regulatory design)’, ‘Implementation (e.g. deployment/scale-up planning, technology transfer)’ There is also an optional text-based question where members can give more information about their overall leadership interest, or about their previous responses in this section.  Section 4: Specific Project This optional section is intended for people with specific project ideas that they have recently or are currently launching, or that they are planning on or interested in launching in the near-term. This section therefore allows for filtering of specific projects. The format aims to give potential co-founders, team members, collaborators and funders the information they need to gauge whether they are interested in working on or supporting the project. If interested, they can then reach out to the relevant member of the talent database.  Filtering can be done by:  Specific project type:  i.e. ‘research project’, ‘start-up pilot/trial period’,  or ‘start-up’ Specific project area  and specific project focus : which area of biosecurity the project is in, and which aspects (e.g. technical, policy) it covers Timeline to launch:  if the project/start-up is already running, actively being set up, or when in the future it is planned Requirements to launch:  if the project is ready to launch, or whether additional team members or resources are needed Currently looking for:  if the project is currently looking for co-founders, collaborators, team members, funding, operational support, or other support The ‘ specific project one-sentence summary ’ field allows for quick assessment of what specifically the project is about.   More details of the project can be found in the ‘ specific project summary ’ field. The field has the following description, which gives recommendations to members about what information they should provide:  Write a summary of your project in up to 4000 characters (approx 1-1.5 pages). This could include things such as: (i) enough background for someone with little context to understand why it is important (ii) description of the project, including your main aims or deliverables, and timelines for these (iii) why you think this specific project is impactful, and how you plan to evaluate this (iv) any existing team members, confirmed collaborators or track record (v) what your next steps are and what you need for this (e.g. expanding on your answer to the ‘currently looking for’ question) To find relevant projects, we recommend first doing initial filtering and/or looking through the ‘specific project one-sentence summary’ field, before then reading the information in the longer ‘specific project summary’ field. Accessing Information on the Talent Database Members of the talent database give consent about how they would like their talent database profile to be shared and used.  They can select their data sharing consent for each option individually, so a specific profile may be available in some locations and not others.  The talent database is accessible in the following locations in the near-term:  OBG Slack (current) Other biosecurity Slacks/groups (near-term) Specific profiles may also be shared with the following individuals or organisations: Potential funders Organisations asking for referrals to opportunities Information from the talent database may be used in referrals, or for making connections, even if the full profile is not shared.  Close In future posts, we will summarise how we think the talent database can be best used by different people (e.g. members, recruiters,  funders) to meet their aims. Sign up to our mailing list here  to be notified when we publish these.  Join our talent database:  apply here , form reviewed every 2-3 months Get referrals for roles:  email referrals@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com   Find opportunities to fund: email fundingreferrals@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com

Oxford Biosecurity Group aims to increase the amount of impactful biosecurity work that is done in the long term. As part of this, we are building a community of people interested in taking on leadership roles within biosecurity and leading impactful biosecurity projects.  This post summarises what we are looking for applicants to our talent database, which also makes up part of the full project lead application process.  Who are you looking for and who can apply? We are looking for people with a range of backgrounds to apply.  Minimum experience requirements  (at least one of): 2+ years of experience after undergraduate   in a relevant area (including graduate study) Completed a past biosecurity-related fellowship or project  with an initiative or organisation Biosecurity needs a range of skillsets  beyond biology , including people with experience in policy, communications, engineering, operations and entrepreneurship .  You can apply from any country  for the talent database, as well as for projects as these are led remotely. Note that project leads are paid as contractors, and that you are responsible for checking any visa requirements for this if applicable.  What are you assessing applicants and applications on?  For the talent database, and throughout the full project lead application process, we are looking at:   Motivation: Your motivation for working on biosecurity both in the short and long term Career impact: How being a project lead with OBG fits in with your longer term career plans Skills: Relevant skills (including project management skills), experience and accomplishments, both related to biosecurity overall and in the area of your proposed project (if applicable) Note that we consider this in terms of career stage, and if you are earlier in your career we understand that you will have less experience. We also look for transferable skills, in particular for early career people and those with experience in another field interested in pivoting into biosecurity Reasoning: Your approach to reasoning and how you prioritise between different options, rather than any specific answer For project leads we then additionally look at your approach to project planning , including awareness of uncertainties, and how you approach risk assessment and mitigation, as well as the quality and the potential for impact of the project itself.  For more details about what we are looking for in project proposals, see the relevant section  of our 2025 Application Pack for project leads.  Application tip: For the text-based written response questions, prioritise focusing on content and clarity rather than specific formatting or wording. Bullet points are fine, as are concise answers providing you think the key information is covered.  Apply Here You can apply to our talent database and express your interest in becoming a project lead with OBG here .  This form remains open, and is reviewed approximately once every three months - see in the form description when it will next be reviewed.  If you have any questions, please email projectleads@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com .

Oxford Biosecurity Group is launching our 2025 Call for Project Proposals, as well as a general project lead expression of interest.  Have a project idea you want to lead, or are interested in developing one?  Apply and submit a proposal to run an impactful biosecurity project that 3+ researchers can work on remotely. Want to express interest in leading future projects?  Complete the first stage of the application process to apply to be added to our talent database, join the Oxford Biosecurity Group Slack and access networking opportunities.  Key details:  Minimum experience: 2+ years post-undergraduate in relevant area OR completed biosecurity fellowship/project Application process: initial interest form, project proposal, 30-minute video interview Project dates: 20th October - 13th December 2025 Location: Remote, and we accept applications from anywhere in the world Time commitment: project scoping, 5-10 hours per week during the project period, 10-20 hours for researcher application review between mid-September and mid-October Compensation: £1500 total stipend, up to £100 default project expenses Timeline at a glance:  Note: Application/decision dates are approximate and may vary by a few days within the indicated weeks. Learn more and apply:  Find out more information in our application pack . It gives more details about the process, timelines, and what we are looking for in applicants and potential projects.  If you have any questions, please reach out at projectleads@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com .   Apply here  by 7th July 2025!

​Oxford Biosecurity Group (OBG) is a team of researchers dedicated to addressing issues related to biosecurity. About We aim to increase the amount of impactful biosecurity work that is done in the long term. We do this by helping people learn about, work on, and transition into a career in biosecurity. For more on why we think it’s important to work on biosecurity, see this post on our blog. Our Story Oxford Biosecurity Group began in September 2023. The three of us were going to work on biosecurity projects alongside our graduate degrees, and we felt that having additional people would be valuable both for direct impact and for helping others further their biosecurity skills and experience. After running our initial pilot project cycle in October-December 2023, we were positively overwhelmed by the level of interest and positive feedback. We decided to run future project cycles and to focus on connecting promising individuals with opportunities to engage in impactful biosecurity research. Projects We help people gain practical experience by running part-time remote research projects in biosecurity and the AI-biology intersection, that people from any country can take part in. We focus primarily on the policy and technology aspects of biosecurity, and projects are often in collaboration with organisations. We expect that most direct project impact is likely to come from providing support and structure for project leads to (i) do impactful work with the help of researchers or (ii) trialing project ideas which they may later spin out, as well as by (iii) increasing the capacity of other organisations, which allows them to do additional valuable work sooner. We therefore look for projects to fit into at least one of these categories. For more details about the projects we run, see here .

Thanks for your interest in getting involved in Oxford Biosecurity Group! Please read below to find out more about how to get involved. Join Us Thanks for your interest in joining Oxford Biosecurity Group! Please read more about the different ways you can get involved below. Join as a Researcher Researchers typically spend 5-10 hours a week working on their project during the project period. This is a voluntary role, and researchers gain experience, skills and connections while contributing to impactful projects. Sign up here to be notified when applications open. Join as a Project Lead We are currently doing a general interest call for project leads to join our talent database and potentially lead future projects. We will next be reviewing applications in September 2026 - apply here by 31st August! Join as a Collaborator Many of our past projects have been in collaboration with other organisations. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please reach out at partnerships@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com . Join the Team We are not currently actively recruiting for any other roles. However, please reach out to contact@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com if you are interested in helping organise any of our initiatives, or in biosecurity capacity building more broadly. Fund Us Oxford Biosecurity Group is fundraising, and we'd love your support. If you're a interested in supporting our mission, please see our donation page here or reach out to us at fundraising@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com . Anything Else We are excited to connect with anyone interested in supporting our mission. If you'd like to get involved in Oxford Biosecurity Group in any other capacity, please email us at contact@oxfordbiosecuritygroup.com .

Biosecurity Considerations of Controlled Human Infection Model Studies (OBG24-2) Project Outline This project seeks to evaluate the biosecurity risks associated with conducting controlled human infection model (CHIM) studies. Researchers on this project will conduct assessments of several key risks of conducting CHIM studies, identify and evaluate additional risks, explore how these risks apply to specific pathogens, and detail mitigation strategies for these risks. We expect much of this project will consist of expert interviews, literature reviews, and desk research to identify potential risks, assess the threat level of those risks, and determine the best mechanisms for mitigating them while retaining the many benefits of CHIM research. Background & Motivation This project seeks to evaluate the biosecurity risks associated with conducting controlled human infection model (CHIM) studies. Researchers on this project will conduct assessments of several key risks of conducting CHIM studies, identify and evaluate additional risks, explore how these risks apply to specific pathogens, and detail mitigation strategies for these risks. We expect much of this project will consist of expert interviews, literature reviews, and desk research to identify potential risks, assess the threat level of those risks, and determine the best mechanisms for mitigating them while retaining the many benefits of CHIM research. Project Outcome Research Questions Summary of work shared with collaborators and fed into a paper which has been submitted for academic publication. Preprint: https://www.authorea.com/users/894713/articles/1271248-biosecurity-considerations-of-controlled-human-infection-model-studies During the project, the researchers will work on the following: 1. A risk assessment of the biosecurity risks of CHIM studies and the infrastructure necessary to conduct them. This will be done through methods such as reviewing the literature and speaking to experts, and will look both at risks that have already been identified and potential additional risks. 2. An evaluation of how these risks apply to specific pathogens and types of pathogens (e.g. advances in pathogen engineering may be higher risk for viruses than bacteria and for certain families of viruses over others). This should include a discussion of pathogen characteristics that increase risk. Researchers should focus first on respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential, such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV, but, where relevant, should include considerations for other diseases such as those on CEPI’s priority pathogen list.), WHO’s priority pathogens list, and Disease X. 3. An evaluation of the relationship between the benefits and risks of CHIMs (briefly discussed in this Pandemic ethics accelerator report, but not deeply assessed yet). 4. A recommendation of methods of mitigating these risks while retaining, as much as possible, the benefits of CHIM studies. 5. A discussion of how this risk/benefit analysis might differ for CHIM studies conducted in LMICs. The main deliverable will be a resulting white paper. Project researchers are not expected to complete the white paper in the 8-week project period, and are welcome, but not expected to continue throughout the writing process alongside other co-authors. All work will be acknowledged through authorship. A list of experts to consult will be included in project briefing materials. Experts will be introduced and lined up in advance of the project start to minimise delay. Project Collaborators 1Day Sooner; Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Eliciting the Biological Knowledge of AI Models (OBG24-2) Project Outline AI models might contain biological knowledge that could be misused, and recently a method was introduced that made these AI models "unlearn” this knowledge. This project will explore how various tools, like advanced prompting techniques, or an access to the Internet, might help these models regain this knowledge. Researchers will use methods such as understanding-based and behavioral evaluations of AI models, as well as scaffolding and prompt engineering of AI models. The key result of the research will be the final report, which will be shared with key stakeholders. Background & Motivation COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that humanity is unable to contain new pathogens, and ill-prepared for new pandemics in the future. General purpose AI models, as well as AI tools capable of predicting pathogenic properties of viruses, are becoming more capable, so in the upcoming years they might be used for designing new pathogens. Actors might use these tools to deliberately start a new pandemic, or it might be a result of an accidental lab leak. A recent paper introduced a Weapons of Mass Destruction Proxy (WMDP) benchmark that measures knowledge of an AI model that is necessary for biological, cyber, and nuclear attacks. The biological part of WMDP benchmark focuses on knowledge necessary for developing and disseminating agents able to cause a pandemic. The paper also introduced a method for "unlearning" this knowledge that makes a model to "forget" this dangerous information. The authors demonstrated the effectiveness of this method by measuring an AI model performance without any additional capabilities, like an ability to browse the internet, access to scientific literature, or advanced prompting techniques. These tools tend to improve performance of AI models, and they might improve the performance of a model after it has unlearned hazardous knowledge. The preliminary experiment showed that they might improve model performance on the benchmark. This project can become a good first step in a career in AI biosecurity. Governments around the world, including the US, the UK, and the EU, are developing methods for evaluating biosecurity risks posed by AI models. This project might help to develop relevant expertise, portfolio, and to grow the right network. Project Outcome Research Questions The concept of a benchmark was created, published as a preprint “BioLP-bench Measuring understanding of AI models of biological lab protocols”, which was used by OpenAI in their O1 system card biosecurity threat evaluation (see section 4.5.7 of the system card). Preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.21.608694v4 The main questions of the project: - Which scaffolding methods and affordances are effective for an AI model to acquire knowledge about biosecurity threats for a model with no such knowledge? - Whether such methods might be used to create a useful behavioral benchmark for AI models? As there are many tools that might improve performance of an AI model, there is a room for participants to choose which methods do they want to use in their research. The result of the research will be summarised into a report, which will be shared with experts and key stakeholders. Experts will be consulted before making any output public, and anything that might be an infohazard will be removed before publication. Project Collaborators Center for AI Safety (CAIS). Analysis of Gaps and Opportunities for Improved Governance in High-Containment Laboratories in African Regions (OBG24-1) Project Outline This research project aims to understand the existing governance structure and gaps in managing high-containment level laboratories in the African region and identify actionable opportunities for improving governance. As a researcher on the project, you will research in one or more countries, depending on your experience and capacity, to understand the governance structure, which will include collecting and analyzing current regulations and policies governing the operations of high-containment labs in the study country/countries and identifying existing gaps and actionable opportunities for improving the governance. The research will prioritize countries with [IHR-JEE scores](https://extranet.who.int/sph/jee) of 1 - 3 level on Biosafety and Biosecurity. Aside from global impact, the research findings are expected to have a significant impact on regional efforts such as the Signature Initiative, African Union Panel on Emerging Technology (APET), African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), and national institutions such as NBA Kenya, KMLTTB, NBMA Nigeria, MLSCN, NBA Ghana, Biosafety SA, among others. As a researcher on the project, you will have the opportunity to conduct policy analysis, engage with practitioners where possible, and gain hands-on experience in Biorisk policy in Africa. This positions you to contribute positively to shaping governance and reducing the likelihood of catastrophic biological events. Background & Motivation As biotechnology and dual-use research continue to advance, there is a growing likelihood of intentional or unintentional catastrophic biological events stemming from the activities of high-containment biological laboratories. While experts recognize the importance of these labs for public health, they also stress the need for strict oversight and regulation to prevent the spread of pathogens into the environment. In Africa, biosecurity concerns are not always prioritized due to limited time and resources, and many scientists lack training in laboratory biosecurity and relevant international regulations. Despite the presence of few BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs in the region, the increasing economy, technology, and urbanization in most African nations make it likely that there will be an increase in the number of such labs in the future, emphasizing the importance of enacting appropriate regulations and oversight. Implementing effective policies and regulations on high-containment level facilities will mitigate and reduce risks from labs, providing long-term protection impact. The ultimate goal is to ensure that global catastrophic biological events arising from the activities of high-containment biological labs from the region are averted. Project Outcome Research Questions A final report was produced, an abstract was accepted for oral presentation at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024, and the project's findings will be disseminated to national and regional stakeholders, potentially feeding into lab safety practices. Over the seven weeks, a researcher will contribute to answering some of these questions. Questions one, two, and three deal with specific countries, while questions four and five regionally. 1. What are the existing governance practices for managing the operation of high-containment level labs? Focusing on a specific country and understanding the context, such as which government institutions and their governance responsibility and mandates. If multiple institutions are involved, what governance responsibility exists within each? 2. What gaps exist in the current governance structure of high-containment levels labs? This will involve identifying lacking regulations, policies, or administrative measures; also, the question will seek to understand gaps within the regulatory institution. Are the institutions making the governance lacking? Are their issues with centralization or decentralization? Are the institution's capacity or resources constraints to make more effective governance? 3. What actionable opportunities are available to strengthen and make governance more robust and effective? Researchers will justify with evidence what makes the recommendation actionable and explain how the recommendation connects to one or several gaps identified. 4. What regional organizations/institutions could shape and improve the governance, and in what ways? What's currently lacking? 5. What actional opportunities are available for the identified regional organization/institutions to strengthen and make governance more robust and effective? Researchers will justify with evidence what makes the recommendation actionable and explain how the recommendation connects to one or several gaps identified. Project Collaborators Governance for Survival Initiative (GSI). Past Project Examples After our pilot project cycle in 2023, 51 researchers completed 14 projects run by 12 project leads with 8 collaborating organisations or initiatives in 2024. In February 2025 we launched the Biosecurity Forecasting Group , which is now spinning out after the end of its 3-month trial version. See some examples of past project briefs below. For a longer list of our projects and outcomes, please see here . The Project Process Every project is different, and project leads are given flexibility to define scope. However all projects must be able to be completed remotely, and be able to be completed by at least 3 researchers spending no more than 5-10 hours per week in an approximately 2-3 month project period. Generally, a project can be divided into the following stages. 1. Project Ideation We get project ideas from internal research, calls for proposals, consulting with biosecurity experts, and based on what is valuable for the collaborating organisation. Once a project is confirmed, the project lead scopes out their project in detail with support from us, input from experts and the collaborating organisation (if applicable). A short project brief is then created to recruit researchers. 2. Project Recruitment Once applications open, researchers apply to the project(s) that they are interested in using the information from the project brief. The exact researcher application process is subject to change and may differ between projects. Our default process is a 2-3 week initial application period to submit the initial application form, which is then followed by a virtual on-demand interview. 3. Project Research The research scope and methods used will depend on the project. However, in all cases work to achieve the key deliverable is divided across the team, and we recommend that teams have regular (typically weekly) team meetings to maintain momentum and share progress. Examples of work may include doing literature reviews, conducting expert interviews, and making forecasts. 4. Project Completion There should be at least one main deliverable completed within the project period, even if the project continues after the end date or feeds into further work. In the 2023/2024 project cycles we suggested a midpoint presentation (internal), and a final presentation and final report as default deliverables. Other examples of deliverables may include policy briefs, technical requirement summaries, economic models, and scoping reviews. Aims & Number of Projects We aim to have an impact through our projects in two main ways: through direct project impact and by increasing biosecurity capacity through identifying and training promising people. We expect that most direct project impact is likely to come from providing support and structure for project leads to (i) do impactful work with the help of researchers or (ii) trialing project ideas which they may later spin out, as well as by (iii) increasing the capacity of other organisations, which allows them to do additional valuable work sooner. We therefore look for projects to fit into at least one of these categories. In 2024, our projects were run in ‘project cycles’, each with 7 projects running at the same time, with the scale allowing 51 researchers and 9 project leads outside of the founding team to complete projects. In 2025, we strategically shifted to running a smaller number of projects including individual projects. This allows us to prioritise projects and talent development that we expect to have the highest future impact given current capacity, while still significantly expanding biosecurity project opportunities compared to alternatives. Project Research Every project is different, and exactly how a project progresses is ultimately down to the project lead. However, there are some commonalities across all our projects. Week 1 In the first week, your project lead will usually hold an online meeting for the project onboarding. In this meeting you will receive more details on the project; final deliverables, and the structure of future meetings. The first week will also typically be dedicated to narrowing down the project scope; dividing research between project leads, and getting to know your fellow researchers. Weeks 2 - Penultimate Week The following weeks will typically involve independent research; regular meetings with the rest of the team, receiving feedback on your work so far, and contributing towards the final deliverable. We provide guidance and best practice to all project teams. However, this is the part of the project that varies the most: it is ultimately up to project leads what your day-to-day will look like. Final Week In the final week, you will typically finalise project deliverables, receive feedback, and your project lead will usually hold a final meeting to wrap-up the project. Project Completion Projects all result in different deliverables. However, an example of what the deliverables for a project might look like: Midpoint Presentation : a presentation of all the research work so far, largely used to provide accountability, course-correct, and support researchers. It is typically just internal. Final Presentation : a presentation summarising the research completed. Can be public or strictly internal. Final Report : a report that summarises the research completed in more detail. This is not always a report however, and can be a presentation, blog post, article, or even publication. These deliverables are usually shared with the collaborating organisation, and may be shared publicly. Why take part? OBG projects are very varied, and we think many types of people could benefit from participation in an OBG project. Students looking to explore biosecurity for the first time; recent graduates looking to upskill in biosecurity; experienced medical professionals looking to transition to biosecurity, and even more senior researchers looking to engage in an interesting, exploratory, project may all find participating in an OBG project worthwhile. Short research projects can be a good way to test your fit; explore a topic you've never considered before; skill up in a specific area; learn more about an interesting topic, or gain research experience. In every project cycle, we aim for projects that serve a range of experience levels, career stages, and interests. Ultimately, provided you are willing and able to spend a few hours a week on your OBG project, an OBG project can be a flexible option for almost anyone. Projects Oxford Biosecurity Group (OBG) runs part-time remote research projects in biosecurity and the AI-biology intersection, to tackle issues and foster talent by enabling them to gain experience, skills and connections. Click below to see examples of some of the projects we’ve run in the past. Please sign up to our mailing list to be notified when applications open. See Our Projects Key Info Current Cycle Dates There is currently no project cycle taking place. Next Cycle Dates We do not currently have the dates of our next cycle confirmed. Stay tuned or join our mailing list for the announcement! Cycle Duration Project cycles are typically 8-12 weeks long. Requirements We cater to a range of backgrounds and experience levels. See more information about our requirements here .