Organization:Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation

The Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation (ERGF) is a US-based private non-profit foundation that supports research into global health threats posed by infectious diseases.

The Foundation was established by the family of Elizabeth R. “Beth” Griffin following her death in 1997. Griffin’s death at age 22 was the result of an occupationally acquired infection that occurred while she was working as a non-human primate researcher in Atlanta, Georgia.

The original mission focus of ERGF was to promote safe research practices with non-human primates and occupational awareness for those involved in such research. From this original area of concern, the Foundation has grown in interest and influence in the broader biological, agricultural, biomedical research and clinical communities through promoting safe research practices, occupational and public health awareness, infection control, professional development in biosafety and biorisk management practices, and the safe, secure, responsible and sustainable development of research capacity.

ERGF is a co-host of the annual Eagleson / ERGF Colloquium on Occupational Health for Biological Exposures and provides support of key biosafety and biosecurity meetings and conferences around the world. The Foundation is frequently represented on plenary programs and professional panels in national and international programs addressing safety and security.

ABSA International has been the Foundation’s principal global partner in biosafety and biosecurity. The Foundation sponsors an annual lecture at the ABSA International conference as well as works with ABSA International in developing leadership programs as well as the ABSA / USDA-ARS International Agricultural Biosafety and Biosecurity conferences.

The Foundation supports a One Health approach and proactively seeks “whole community” solutions that are innovative, effective, local, practical and sustainable in advancing safe, secure and responsible research capacity throughout the world. ERGF is a founding partner of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) and supports the development, growth and application of biorisk management.

In 2014, ERGF was instrumental in working to develop the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium (GHSAC), a global organization of non-government organizations and entities that are engaged in global health security and work in the implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda. GHSAC now holds a seat on the Global Health Security Agenda Steering Group.

ERGF formally selected Georgetown University to further its research and education mission in 2018, launching the Elizabeth R. Griffin Program (ERG) within the Center for Global Health Science and Security at the Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Julie Fischer serves as Director of ERGP.