The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) medicine will host a round-table discussion Aug. 29 for USC stem cell researchers, an event designed to facilitate collaboration and individual grant applications for the CIRM’s new grants program.

Discussion will focus on the Institute’s Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development (SEED) Grant Program and the Comprehensive Research Grants Program for which CIRM has recently announced requests for applications.

Requests are limited to proposals that work directly on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and can utilize existing space and major equipment at the applicant’s institution. The grants are open to all academic and non-profit research institutions in the state of California.

Future solicitations may be available to for-profit institutions when the CIRM Intellectual Property Policy for for-profit organizations is in place.

The SEED Grant Program is intended to bring new ideas and new investigators into the field of hESC research. It offers an opportunity for investigators to carry out studies that may yield preliminary data or proof-of-principle results that could then be extended to full-scale investigations. One of the goals of the program is to attract new investigators-young investigators as well as established scientists in other fields-to direct their focus to hESC research.

The Comprehensive Research Grants Program is intended to support mature, ongoing studies on hESCs by scientists with a record of accomplishment in this field. This is also an opportunity for investigators with well-developed expertise in hESC research or in a closely related stem cell field to expand their programs or take promising new directions in hESC research based on current research.

Letters of intent for both programs are required and due Sept. 15, 2006. Applications for the SEED Grant Program must be submitted by Oct. 13, 2006. Applications for the Comprehensive Research Grant Program must be submitted by Nov. 13, 2006.

To attend the discussion, RSVP immediately to Gigi Petrovich at gpetrov@usc.edu. The round-table discussion is noon until 2 p.m. in the Herklotz Seminar Room. Lunch will be provided.