2010 Annual Report: CIRM Global Stem Cell Research Partnerships

Global Partnerhips

Leveraging Global Stem Cell Expertise

CIRM has formed partnerships with international funding agencies in nine nations and two international states to create collaborations connecting the best scientists from around the world. To date, 16 California stem cell scientists have partnered with colleagues in five different countries in an effort to develop new disease therapies.

Reaching Across Borders

CIRM only funds research carried out in California. However, excellent stem cell science is taking place worldwide. In order to connect the leading minds in stem cell science, CIRM has formed partnerships with 11 international funding agencies and
one U.S. state, and one state-based foundation.

These partnerships connect outstanding scientists without regard to geographic location. When an award that includes an international collaborator is approved for funding, CIRM funds the scientists in California and the funding partner is responsible for the international portion of the research.

This past year the CIRM Governing Board approved four Early Translational Awards and one Basic Biology III Award that include German collaborators, one Basic Biology II award that includes a Japanese collaborator, and two Stem Cell Transplantation Awards with Australian collaborators, bringing the total to 16 international teams. (See a list of all CIRM awards that include international collaborators.)

Cal Stiller,

Former Chair, Genome Canada; Chair, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; 2010 Canada Gairdner Award recipient

“Collaborations between our Canadian scientists and California-based scientists and institutions have been among the most remarkable international endeavors in science that I have witnessed. Although no money from CIRM was invested in Canada, intellectual capital was, and in a two-way fashion the whole greatly exceeded the sum of the parts. The pace of development in the cancer stem cell area, for example, has been nothing short of outstanding and our understanding of that disease process has been turned on its head all because CIRM, and its Chair Robert Klein, saw the multiplier effect that could be had through global collaboration.”