The Ryan DNA Project is a collaborative effort to establish which project members are most closely related to each other, to identify genetic families, and to ascertain the origins & evolution of the Ryan surname (and its possible variants).

The goals of the project can be summarised as follows:

1. To identify which members (and hence their family branches) are most closely related to each other (those that have similar genetic signatures can be grouped together into genetic families and can be considered to be related to each other genetically)

2. To help members establish to which genetic family they belong (this may allow them to "piggyback" onto the established genealogies of other members in the group, for example the member who has the family bible and can trace his line back to the 1500's)

3. To confirm paper-trail evidence & traditional genealogies (a positive match between two members who believe they are descended from the same common ancestor on the basis of traditional documentary evidence can help confirm that relationship)

4. To help to focus further documentary research (members of a genetic family are closely related and should work with each other to try to identify the common ancestor)

5. To identify the likely origin of each genetic family

6. To estimate the age of each genetic group (i.e. how long has their DNA signature been associated with the surname?)

7. To study the evolution of the surname from its earliest origins to its present day forms

8. To document and publish the results along the way so that others can derive the maximum benefit from the project