Bermuda Principles Foundation

In February 1996 “International Strategy Meeting on Human Genome Sequencing” was held in the islands of Bermuda as it is a neutral meeting location. The goal during this gathering was to negotiate the fate of the gene sequences being deduced by The Human Genome Project (HGP). To the benefit of the global scientific community, they collectively held strong to the conviction that medical advancement should overrule financial gain. The Bermuda Principles agreement cemented the legacy of these values and all gene sequences were issued freely to the worldwide community. The Bermuda Principles Foundation was founded to continue the legacy of the Bermuda Principles on current medical research and its impact on the world. The main aims of the foundation are: (i) to advance the education of the general public, and especially the youth, on careers related to science; (ii) to provide a productive platform for carrying out scientific research; (iii) to promote and provide local opportunities for scientific engagement on topics that are relevant and of common interest to improve the health of the general public and the environment; (iv) to provide ongoing support and develop partnerships, whether local or international, which encourage the development of scientists in Bermuda, putting Bermudians on the world map (v) to raise awareness of Bermuda’s scientific cultural heritage and historic ties to the advancement of biological and scientific research.