California's 19 Research Winners: A $100 Million Contrast to the National Biomedical Scene

The state's gene and stem cell cash flows freely, recipients identified.

Ten businesses and nine academic institutions shared nearly $100 million in research awards from California’s stem cell and gene therapy agency late this week to finance their searches for treatments and cures for afflictions ranging from pancreatic cancer to devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

The grants came from the $12 billion California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in actions that stood in sharp contrast to the Trumpian uncertainty and disruption in the federal research world.

CIRM is the largest state research funding organization in the nation. It was created by voters in 2004 through a direct democracy tool, the ballot initiative. It is insulated from most political vagaries because it has a guaranteed stream of cash approved by California voters. It does not depend on the federal government for financial support. It also has a major firewall that hinders tinkering by the California legislature.

It is unusual for CIRM to give away $100 million in one day, but