Third Researcher Appealing Grant Rejection to Stem Cell Agency Board

The scientist, W. Douglas Boyd,
noted that his proposal was given a scientific score of 67, which was
one point below the cutoff for most grants approved by CIRM's
Grants Working Group. Thirteen grants fell in the 68 to 53
range, including Boyd's. Reviewers approved four in that range,
including two with scores of 53.

Boyd's letter was brief, focusing on a
letter of support from an Indiana firm, Cook Biotech, Inc.,
that would supply the "material and technical expertise to
create a new bioengineered cardiac patch

material."

The appeal letter, along with other
appeals(see here and here), will be given to CIRM directors in the agenda material for their meeting tomorrow in San Francisco. The
board does not have to act on the petitions or discuss them.
Researchers can also appear before the board to make a case.

Claire Pomeroy, CEO of the UC
Davis Health Systems, is a member of the CIRM board. She
will be barred from taking part in any discussion of Boyd's
application or voting on it.