About Connecticut's Stem Cell Research (SCR) Program
Effective October 1, 2014, the authority for administration of the Stem Cell Research Program transferred to Connecticut Innovations. A link to the Connecticut Innovations webpage is provided: http://www.ctinnovations.com/program/18/stemcellresearch
Public Act 05-149, "An Act Permitting Stem Cell Research and Banning the Cloning of Human Beings" (the Act), was approved by the General Assembly and signed by Governor M. Jodi Rell on June 15, 2005. The Act appropriated the sum of twenty million dollars for the purpose of grants-in-aid for conducting embryonic or human adult stem cell research. In addition, for each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2015, the Act specified that an additional ten million dollars should be disbursed from the State's Tobacco Settlement Fund to the Stem Cell Research Fund to support additional research. The Act has subsequently been codified in Connecticut General Statutes §19a-32d through §19a-32g.
Passage of the legislation positioned Connecticut as just the third state in the nation in providing public funding in support of embryonic and human adult stem cell research. It mandated the establishment of the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory and Peer Review Committees by October 1, 2005, and required the Commissioner of Public Health as Chair of the Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee to convene the first meeting by December 1, 2005.
Connecticut is committed to getting these public dollars into the hands of its very talented and very passionate stem cell research community. The State is also committed to leveraging these public dollars to attract new researchers, to improve and promote for-profit and not-for-profit embryonic and human stem cell and related research, to identify additional public and private funding resources to support such research, and to recruit new scientists, researchers and businesses to the State.
As of June 10 , 2013, Connecticut has allocated a total of $78.64 million in support of stem cell researchers in Connecticut. State funding has provided the resources to support 152 research projects at Yale University, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University and two private companies. Accomplishments include
- leveraging funding received from the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Program to pursue/obtain additional funding for research from other sources;
- contributions and research outcomes in the form of published papers, new methodologies, etc. and direct achievements including patent applications, new technology, etc.;
- creation of new jobs in the state of Connecticut to support stem cell research; and development of partnerships and collaborations.
Implementation of the legislation has been achieved through the development of collaborative relationships among the Department of Public Health and members of the local, national and international stem cell research community, including scientists, policy makers, advocates and consumers. Major partners in Connecticut include Connecticut Innovations, Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE) , the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Coalition, and academic research institutions. In addition, the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Program has received active support, participation and guidance from members of the national and international stem cell research community. With public dollars supporting stem cell research, with a vibrant research community attracting attention from the international stem cell researchers, and with a favorable climate for expanding and funding for-profit and not-for-profit research activities, Connecticut is positioned as an International Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Research.