In a step taken to broaden the potential pool of expertise that can be applied toward research in a specific area, a new agreement between the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) will make it easier for researchers in both California and China to obtain joint stem cell research funding.
Researchers in both jurisdictions will be invited to form teams that will apply jointly for funding through a process that builds upon routine CIRM and MOST procedures. For those that are approved, CIRM will fund the California researchers and MOST will fund the Chinese researchers.
“One of CIRM’s primary goals is to accelerate the field of stem cell research as a whole, and in some instances we can do this more effectively through collaborations that involve the best scientific endeavors, regardless of geography,” said Alan Trounson, President of CIRM. “China is developing a major national program in stem cells and regenerative medicine that can be effectively matched with California’s excellence in stem cell science that is rapidly evolving in academic and biotechnology settings. I would expect major developments for patients to occur through this new partnership.”
“China has made a major commitment to biomedical research, and stem cell research in particular,” noted Robert Klein, chairman of the CIRM governing board. “China will now join six other nations—Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Victoria Australia, Spain and Japan—as a partner with California in accelerating critical stem cell research to relieve the suffering of patients and families throughout the world.”
The agreement notes that both agencies will assure the research is conducted in “compliance with the highest standards for ethical conduct and safety at all stages of research including clinical study.”
Adapted from the CIRM announcement.
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