The 29-member Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the governing board of CIRM, approved 12 major facilities grants for approximately $271 million, to fund the establishment of facilities in support of stem cell research programs that encompass a broad spectrum of research. (www.cirm.ca.gov/press/pdf/2008/05-07-08.pdf)
In addition to CIRM grants awarded today, institutions receiving awards have committed an additional $560 million from charitable donations and their internal reserves to building stem cell research facilities throughout California, bringing the total statewide investment in new research space to $831 million.
The grants for UC campuses will go toward three important areas:
• Funding new stem cell research facilities that are free of federal funding, in order to facilitate the ability of researchers to conduct human embryonic stem cell research in compliance with federal funding restrictions.
• Developing stem cell research centers that encourage across-the-spectrum collaborations.
• Improving current research facilities, which will better accommodate the needs of stem cell researchers.
Specifically, funding will help establish three types of facilities:
• CIRM Institutes to carry out stem cell research in three areas: basic and discovery stem cell research, preclinical and clinical research, and preclinical development.
• CIRM Centers of Excellence that will conduct stem cell research in any two areas including discovery, clinical research and preclinical development.
• CIRM Special Programs that will conduct specialized stem cell research projects.
"UC is grateful for all the support CIRM has given to our scientists in this important field," University of California President Robert C. Dynes said. "The grants will allow UC to build the next generation of research infrastructure that will help continue our efforts to realize the enormous potential of stem cell technology."
For years UC researchers have led the way in developing key scientific advances in the area of stem cell research. Scientists at UC are studying stem cells to gain a better understanding of the biological process involved in human health and disease, with the goal of translating discoveries from this research into treatments for a variety of ailments such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and cancer.
Since the 2004 passage of California Proposition 71, all 10 UC campuses have received awards from CIRM.
CIRM major facilities grants for UC campuses:
• UC Berkeley will receive a $20.2 million CIRM Centers of Excellence grant.
• UC Davis will receive $20.1 million for a CIRM Institutes grant.
• UC Irvine will receive a $27.2 million CIRM Institutes grant.
• UCLA will receive a $19.9 million CIRM Institutes grant.
• UC Merced will receive a $4.4 million CIRM Special Programs grant.
• UC San Francisco will receive a $34.9 million CIRM Institutes grant.
• UC Santa Barbara will receive: $3.2 million CIRM Special Programs grant.
• UC Santa Cruz will receive a $7.2 million CIRM Special Programs grant
• UC San Diego is one of the four institutional members of the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, which will receive a $43 million CIRM Institutes grant.
Background:
Proposition 71
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), formed as a result of the state's 2004 passage of Proposition 71 (the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act). CIRM has moved ahead in providing significant funding for stem cell research, including at the University of California. Proposition 71 also gives priority to funding research that cannot be done with federal funds (such as human embryonic stem cell research on lines produced after the 2001 presidential funding restriction).
For more information:
UC Berkeley: http://stsc.berkeley.edu/Projects/STSC_Projects.htm
UC Davis: www.research.ucdavis.edu/home.cfm?id=SCR,9
UC Irvine: http://stemcell.uci.edu
UCLA: www.iscbm.ucla.edu
UC Merced: http://stemcells.ucmerced.edu
UC San Francisco: http://stemcellfacts.ucsf.edu
UC San Diego: http://stemcells.ucsd.edu/
UC Santa Barbara: www.stemcell.ucsb.edu
UC Santa Cruz: www.cbse.ucsc.edu/research/stemcell.shtml