Budget
U.S. Human Genome Project Funding ($ Millions)
| Fiscal Year | U.S. Department of Energy | National Institutes of Health | U.S. Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 10.7 | 17.2 | 27.9 |
| 1989 | 18.5 | 28.2 | 46.7 |
| 1990 | 27.2 | 59.5 | 86.7 |
| 1991 | 47.4 | 87.4 | 134.8 |
| 1992 | 59.4 | 104.8 | 164.2 |
| 1993 | 63.0 | 106.1 | 169.1 |
| 1994 | 63.3 | 127.0 | 190.3 |
| 1995 | 68.7 | 153.8 | 222.5 |
| 1996 | 73.9 | 169.3 | 243.2 |
| 1997 | 77.9 | 188.9 | 266.8 |
| 1998 | 85.5 | 218.3 | 303.8 |
| 1999 | 89.9 | 225.7 | 315.6 |
| 2000 | 88.9 | 271.7 | 360.6 |
| 2001 | 86.4 | 308.4 | 394.8 |
| 2002 | 90.1 | 346.7 | 434.3 |
| 2003 | 64.2 | 372.8 | 437 |
Note: These numbers do not include construction funds, which are a very small part of the budget.
*For an explanation of the NIH budget, contact the Office of Communications of the National Human Genome Research Institute.
The Human Genome Project was sometimes reported to have cost $3 billion. However, this figure refers to the total projected funding over a 13-year period (1990–2003) for a wide range of scientific activities related to genomics. These include:
- studies of human diseases and experimental organisms (such as bacteria, yeast, worms, flies, and mice);
- development of new technologies for biological and medical research;
- computational methods to analyze genomes; and
- ethical, legal, and social issues related to genetics.
Human genome sequencing represents only a small fraction of the overall 13-year budget.
The DOE and NIH genome programs set aside 3% to 5% of their respective total annual budgets for the study of the project’s ELSI issues. For an in-depth look at the ELSI surrounding the project, see the ELSI webpage.
See also a table of major government and nonprofit genomics research funders (1998–2000) compiled as part of the World Survey of Genomics Research of the Stanford-in-Washington Program.