How much did the Human Genome Project cost U.S. taxpayers?
In 1990, Congress established funding for the Human Genome Project and set a target completion date of 2005. Although estimates suggested that the project would cost a total of $3 billion over this period, the project ended up costing less than expected, about $2.7 billion in FY 1991 dollars. Additionally, the project is being completed more than two years ahead of schedule. It is also important to consider that the Human Genome Project will likely pay for itself many times over on an economic basis – if one considers that genome-based research will play an important role in seeding biotechnology and drug development industries, not to mention improvements in human health.
