What is Ova Prima?

Since 1887, the Ova Prima Foundation has existed for the sole purpose of exploring the mystery and the beauty that is the egg. 

It is the Foundation's primary objective to continue to build a body of scientific evidence that will shed light on the egg-and-chicken controversy, that most basic of conundrums. The Foundation's long and exciting history began in 1865 when Craigorn Shippen discovered the first scientific evidence that the egg came first.

The Ova Prima Foundation is a non-profit organization and accomplishes its Mission
through education, research, and funding.

For the last twenty years, Ova Prima has been an active partner in education with professional educational organizations, schools, and teachers, working to integrate ovaprimatological studies into the curriculum of primary, secondary, and continuing education.  We offer a series of prestigious Teachers' Workshops, maintain a on-line databank of lesson plans, and offer an exciting curriculum for seniors in conjunction with Olderhostel.  For more information on Ova Prima educational outreach, see our Education page.

The campus of the Ova Prima Foundation provides the home for our research programs.  The Ova Prima faculty is highly respected and includes scholars and scientists in the fields of paleontology, oogenetics, archaeology, and ovaprimatology.  Our research facilities and laboratories are state-of-the-art.  The Ova Prima Museum of Natural History and the Shippen Library are open to the public.  Information about current research projects and recent publications can be found on our Research page.

The Ova Prima Foundation has provided funding for ovaprimatological research and education to over 100 colleges, universities, and other education or research organizations throughout the world.  Each year, Ova Prima receives approximately 1000 new or renewal support proposals for research, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, and community partnerships between schools and businesses.  More information on funding is located on our Grants page.

We encourage you to explore the online presence of the Ova Prima Foundation.

Consider the egg. 

At Ova Prima, we do.

Dr. Joel David Forsyte
Chairman of the Board
The Ova Prima Foundation