The Waitt Family Foundation Helps Fund The Genographic Project: Mapping the Human Story

April 13, 2005 -- National Geographic's The Genographic Project seeks to chart new knowledge about the migratory history of the human species and answer age-old questions surrounding the genetic diversity of humanity. The project is a nonprofit, five-year, global DNA-sampling research partnership of National Geographic and IBM, led by distinguished population geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells. With support for field research from the Waitt Family Foundation, Wells and a group of the world’s leading scientists will attempt to collect and analyze more than 100,000 DNA samples from people all over the world.

Core components of the project are:

• Field Research
• Public Participation and Awareness Campaign
• Legacy Project

Purpose:

The goal of the Genographic Project is to help people better understand their own ancient history, learn about migratory paths our ancestors took to populate the planet, and how, in spite of our diverse appearances, we all are part of the same family tree and share common origins.

Project Partners:

National Geographic Society – National Geographic, which developed the concept of the Genographic Project with Wells, is providing overall coordination for the project, including management of field operations, sale and distribution of the Participation Kits, the project Web site and other related activities.

IBM Corporation – A team of IBM researchers, scientists and technicians, led by IBM’s Ajay Royyuru, is designing the technical infrastructure for the project, providing computational biology and research expertise, and driving exploratory research programs related to data compilation and analysis.

Key Funder:

Waitt Family Foundation – The Foundation has provided critical funding to underwrite Genographic’s field research, which is at the core of the project and will form the basis of its findings.