The Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation (ERGF) is a US based private 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation dedicated to the support of professional scientific and educational organizations that endeavor toward the common good of humankind. ERGF is committed to the Prevent - Detect - Respond vision of the Global Health Security Agenda to make the world safe and secure from global health threats posed by infectious diseases.
The Foundation was established by the family of Elizabeth R. “Beth” Griffin following her tragic death in 1997. Beth’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, GA. 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.
Through its global health security focus, ERGF recognizes many researchers, animal, laboratory, clinical and other support professions stand on the front lines in trying to solve the riddles of some of the most complex diseases and biological threats that confront human and animal populations. Establishing health security, protecting public health, lives and economies, these endeavors are of paramount importance to the Foundation.
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.
As a committed non-governmental partner of the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium, ERGF currently serves as the coordinating non-governmental organization of the Global Health Security Agenda Non-Governmental Stakeholder Steering Group to make the world safe and secure from global threats posed by infectious diseases. ERGF also works with partners in improving national and international CBRNE preparedness.
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 throughout the world.
The support of corporate and private donors enables ERGF to provide speakers, programs and instructors to conferences nationally and internationally. Such support enables the Foundation to provide grant support to professional organizations and associations for training to under-resourced facilities, and empowers our efforts to provide expertise in critical health situations throughout the world where health security is threatened. ERGF also supports awards for biosafety engineering innovation and for recognition of exceptional leadership in biosafety advocacy to recipients who live and work in limited resource countries. The Foundation’s status as a non-profit foundation allows tax deduction benefits for donors.
As a partner in implementation, our Biorisk Engagement and Management Solutions (ERGF BEAMS) program, ERGF develops and efficiently manages innovative and effective biorisk programs for public, private and philanthropic entities. ERGF is a US-registered eligible recipient of grant programs. ERGF's Global Project Director is Patricia Olinger,JM Assistant Vice President – ORA and Executive Director of EH&S at Emory University. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, DVM of Pennsylvania State University and Harvard University serves as the Global Project Manager.
In achieving its mission and goals, ERGF collaborates with a growing number of stakeholders to safely and responsibly strengthen the capacity of global research and clinical environments to enhance global health security.
ERGF's Partners in safety, security, research, and One Health include: African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA); African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM); Akademi Sains Malaysia; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS); American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN); ABSA International (ABSA) PRINCIPAL PARTNER OF ERGF; American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM); American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM); American Society for Microbiology (ASM); Arcoplast; Argentinian Society for Microbiology (AAM); Asia-Pacific Biosafety Association (A-PBA); Asian Federation for Laboratory Animal Science (AFLAS); Asociación Mexicana de Bioseguridad (AMEXBIO); Associação Nacional de Biossegurança (ANBIO); Association of Biosafety for Australia and New Zealand (ABSANZ); Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL); Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV); Behavioral Based Improvement Solutions,LLC; BioBubble; Biosafety Association for Central Asia and Caucasus (BACAC); Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference (BBIC); Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course – Ft Collins, CO (BBTC); Biosecu.re; Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI); Boston University; Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA); Canadian Association for Biological Safety (CABS); Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS/ASCAL); CBRN Centres of Excellence; Center for Strategic and International Study (CSIS); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-US (CDC); Chemical and Biological Medical Treatment Symposia (CBMTS); Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD); Connecting Organisations for Regional Disease Surveillance (CORDS); CRDF Global; Dartmouth University; Eagleson Institute; EcoHealth Alliance; Emory University; European Biological Safety Association (EBSA); Federation for Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Georgetown University; Germfree; Global Health Council (GHC); Global Health Security Agenda Consortium; Gryphon Scientific; Hospitals for Humanity; iFormBuilder; iMAPP; Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR); International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID); International Council for the Life Sciences (ICLS); International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA); International Medical Corps (IMC); International Office for Reducing Crime Ltd (IOIRC); International Symposium on Biosafety and Biosecurity, Milan; International Veterinary Biosafety Workgroup (IVBWG); INTERPOL; Malaysian Biosafety Association; Management Sciences for Health (MSH); MRIGlobal; National Academy of Sciences (NAS); National B-Virus Resource Center; National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI); Pakistan Biological Safety Association; Philippine Biosafety and Biosecurity Association (PHBBA); Project HOPE; Response Solutions International (RSI); Safety Plus LLC; Sandia National Laboratories; Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW); Shoreland; The Center for Global Health and Diplomacy (GHD); The George Washington University; United Nations Foundation; United States Department of Agriculture; United States Department of Defense; United States Department of State; University of Chicago; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Health Security (UPMC); URS Professional Solutions; World Health Organization (WHO); World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Members of the ERGF board of directors are Maureen Best Ellis, Guy Collyer, MSc; David Franz, DVM, PhD; Gary Fujimoto, MD; Rev. Caryl Griffin, MSN, M.Div.; Julia Hilliard, PhD; Jennifer Gaudioso, PhD. William C Griffin, MD, deceased, Honorary director emeritus. Jim Welch serves as executive director.
ERGF – 1225 N Eastman Rd, Ste 105 – Kingsport, TN USA 36664