The commission reviewed a total of 147 applications responding to three official Requests for Applications (RFAs).
The projects will be funded through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006.
Six grants went to investigator-initiated projects and the rest went to exploratory and post-doc fellowship awards.
Awards this year also bring in collaboration from the University of Pennsylvania, the Scripps Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NIH, and cross campus collaboration within Maryland¡¯s public and private research institutions.
Projects recommended for funding include:
-6 applications for RFA-MD-09-1 (Investigator-Initiated Research Grants) -These grants are designed for investigators with preliminary data supporting the grant application. These grants are up to five years and $300,000 per year.
- 32 applications for RFA-MD-09-2 (Exploratory Research Grants)-These grants are designed for investigators who are new to the stem cell field (new investigators and investigators from other fields), and for new hypotheses, approaches, mechanisms or models that may differ from current thinking in the stem cell field. These grants are for up to two years and $100,000 per year.
- 21 applications for RFA-MD-09-03 (Post-Doctoral Fellowship Research Grants)
-These grants are for post-doctoral fellows who wish to conduct basic and/or translational research on all types of human stem cells in Maryland. These grants are for up to two years and $55,000 per year.
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, an independent unit within the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), establishes criteria, standards and requirements to administer the Stem Cell Research Fund in accordance with the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006.
Contact: View the complete list of grantees at http://www.mscrf.org/content/awardees/2008.cfm