MacArthur Foundation Grants $100 Million to Sentinel for Pandemic Prevention Redeemer’s University

MacArthur Foundation announced on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, that $100 million has been awarded to the Broad Institute for the Sentinel project, a joint effort co-led by Dr Pardis Sabeti of the Broad Institute and Prof Christian Happi of the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (IGH), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. 

Sentinel is an outbreak surveillance framework that prevents pandemics through local empowerment of communities. It is a global collaboration of clinicians, epidemiologists, geneticists, virologists, bioengineers, computer scientists, and public health experts. Sentinel has been able to address immediate needs for robust disease surveillance and sequencing capacity in West Africa. 

According to a statement by the Foundation, MacArthur’s Board selected Sentinel from five finalists in its third round of 100&Change, a global competition to fund a single proposal that promises real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time.

“In a moment where investments in global public health are at risk, the Sentinel project will transform infectious disease surveillance and response through cutting-edge technology, global collaboration, and local empowerment,” said MacArthur Foundation President, John Palfrey. 

“Infectious diseases kill millions of people every year, disrupt regional security and economic stability, and can escalate into global crises. Sentinel detects, prevents, and preempts outbreaks to save lives and strengthen global health security,” he added.

“This investment affirms that solutions to global health challenges can be led from Africa,” said Christian Happi, co-director of Sentinel and Director of the Institute of Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University, Nigeria. 

He explained, “Sentinel is about trust, collaboration, and building the systems that allow every country to respond swiftly and confidently to disease threats. With the MacArthur Foundation’s support, we can create lasting resilience together.”

100&Change will empower Sentinel to change how communities approach early detection and containment of infectious disease outbreaks globally. 

More than 3,000 public health workers from 53 of 54 countries in Africa have already been trained through Sentinel’s approach, and it aims to strengthen its existing framework in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, while also extending its geographic reach across three other African countries over the next five years.

“We are deeply grateful to the MacArthur Foundation for this transformative investment,” said Pardis Sabeti, co-director of Sentinel and Institute Member at the Broad Institute. 

“With this support, we can build a future where every community has the tools, knowledge, and power to detect and stop outbreaks before they spread. It’s an opportunity to show what’s possible when science, innovation, and a sense of solidarity come together to protect humanity.”