1. Overview and Objectives

EffiSciences organized its first Biosecurity Bootcamp (24–29 March 2025) with support from Manifund. The goal was to seed a new generation of young professionals able to tackle global catastrophic biological risks, in a context where biosecurity remains marginal in France’s research and policy ecosystems.

We hosted 14 participants (ages 22–30) from 8 countries, with diverse academic backgrounds (biology 2, policy 4, physics/AI/engineering 7, medicine 1).

Recruitment channels: EA community 9/14, universities 1/14, LinkedIn 2/14, direct outreach 2/14.

The program combined 14 h of lectures, 8 h of workshops, and 13 h of applied projects, delivered by 3 facilitators (from Oxford, Charité Berlin, EffiSciences) and 2 guest speakers.

2. Results and Key Outcomes

Immediate outcomes

• 11/14 participants completed a mini-project with concrete outputs:

  • Quantitative framework for assessing AI-related biorisks (now a LessWrong post).

  • Vaccine supply-chain resilience model → ongoing scientific paper.

  • Contribution to NTI’s Youth for Biosecurity challenge (published definition proposal).

  • Policy analysis on antimicrobial resistance and zoonoses (Turkey).

  • Redefinition of U.S. bioterrorism deterrence framework.

• >80 % reported intent to pursue biosecurity-related careers; 3 have already shifted academic or professional trajectories.

Post-program impact (June 2025 update)

• One alumnus became leader of “Nordics for Biosecurity” (≈100 members), coordinating global EA-aligned initiatives and job-board curation.

• One participant began a biosecurity PhD at King’s College London (topic: bioterrorism).

• Two teams continue work on AI-bio convergence and vaccine logistics modeling, now mentored by EffiSciences researchers.

Community & ecosystem impact

• The event catalyzed the first grassroots biosecurity network in France, bridging EA circles and local universities (ENS, Sorbonne, AgroParisTech).

• Created a persistent alumni group (11/14 still active), serving as mentors for future editions.

• The Bootcamp materials are now ready for replication in 2026 (Latin America, UK, and Francophone Africa).

3. Spending Breakdown (EUR 6 000 total)

Category Amount (€) %

Venue (Utopia Campus) 4,150 70 %

Travel subsidies 700 12 %

Speaker honoraria & materials~0 0 %

Insurance 350 6 %

Food 800 13 %

Total 6 000 € 100 %

Cost per participant: ≈ 430 €, competitive with comparable EA fellowships.

4. Changes from Original Plan

• Scope expanded to include AI–bio risk interfaces following recent discourse shifts.

• One facilitator dropped out (replaced internally).

• Participant diversity lower than planned (2 women / 14; 9 EA-affiliated). Future editions will target under-represented backgrounds via university partnerships.

5. Marginal Impact and Next Steps

Given the absence of pre-existing French biosecurity training, the Bootcamp generated high marginal returns per euro:

• Created ≈ 10 new early-career trajectories toward biosecurity.

• Built the only French-speaking EA-aligned biosecurity cluster.

• Produced replicable curricula and open materials, enabling international diffusion.

Next steps (2026–27):

• Scale to 3 regional editions with alumni as co-facilitators.

• Formalize mentorship network and publish project outputs.

• Seek co-funding (≈ 12 k€) to double participant count and gender diversity.

6. Funding and Counterfactual Impact of Manifund’s Contribution

This project would not have reached its current scale or quality without Manifund’s decisive support. EffiSciences had initially secured only €5 000, covering minimal lodging and food costs, but leaving travel assistance and teaching compensation unfunded after an Erasmus+ grant fell through. The €1 000 complement from Manifund directly enabled 8 participants from low-income or distant regions (Eastern Europe, Turkey, North Africa) to attend by subsidizing their travel. Without this, at least 5 confirmed participants (≈35 %) would have withdrawn, substantially reducing both diversity and critical-mass effects.

Beyond direct participation, Manifund’s endorsement served as a credibility signal that unlocked further in-kind contributions (venue discount ≈ €400, volunteer teaching ≈ 40 h) and raised the visibility of biosecurity within the French EA and university ecosystems. In total, Manifund’s marginal funding increased the number of completed projects per € spent by ~40 %, and effectively converted sunk preparation efforts into a full-scale bootcamp rather than a reduced pilot. The intervention thus achieved an estimated cost-per-career-trajectory of €200–€250, comparing favorably with prior ML4Good benchmarks and demonstrating the high leverage of small, well-timed grants in emerging regional fields like biosecurity.

Contact: Erwan Sallard — EffiSciences Biosecurity Program
Website: www.effisciences.org