California On Target To Issue First Stem Cell Research Institute Grants

California remains on target to issue its first grants from its novel $3 billion stem cell research institute by May, according to its chairman, although biotechnology companies and other industry applicants might be frozen out of the initial grant-making process. California stem cell chairmen Bob Klein pledged Thursday to issue grants by May at a meeting of the committee tasked with overseeing the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The 29-member committee was scheduled to discuss restricting the first rounds of grants to nonprofit labs and universities because of patent and profit issues but delayed extensive conversation on the matter until its next meeting next month.