Texas Flap Looms Over California Stem Cell Agency’s Grant Appeals

It is a matter of considerable interest
to researchers who need the cash to keep their labs running and remain in good standing with their host institutions.

The stem cell agency's governing board this fall created a task force to deal with the appeals issue after a
record-breaking number of researchers made public appeals featuring
emotional patient advocates. Even the former chairman of the agency,
Robert Klein, made a two-time pitch for one applicant. Board members
later complained publicly about “arm-twisting,” lobbying and“emotionally charged presentations.”

The agenda for the Nov. 30 task force
meeting in Oakland -- with teleconferencing sites in San Francisco,
Irvine, Palo Alto, Seattle and Rochester, N.Y. -- contains few clues
on what the panel is hoping to specifically accomplish in next week's
90-minute session.

But interested researchers can check
the transcript from the Oct. 24 meeting, during which CIRM President
Alan Trounson described the problem as “very critical.” He said,

Trounson's Texas reference was to the
mass resignations of reviewers at that state's $3 billion cancer
research effort. Questions have been raised about integrity of its grant review process and the program's political and biotech industry
relationships. James Drew of the Dallas Morning News produced a bit of an overview this week. In another piece, Eric Berger of the
Houston Chronicle provided quotes from emails from the infighting on
a controversial $18 million grant.

Changes in California's grant appeal process may well
be also discussed at the agency's board meeting Dec. 12 in Los Angeles.
The board hopes to wrap up its action by late January.

Here is a link to an item with more specifics on material presented to the task force in October. Here is a link to an August 2012 list of articles and documents related to the CIRM appeals process.

Interested parties can address comments
to the agency at info@cirm.ca.gov.