Showing posts with label bibliography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bibliography. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A Guide to Information on the $5.5 Billion California Stem Initiative

Trying to wade through the information maze surrounding the proposed, $5.5 billion California stem cell initiative? Here are links to key documents, online postings and information dealing with the proposal and the ballot initiative process.

This list of information sources was updated Nov. 14, 2019, at 8:54 PM PST.

How ballot initiatives work in California

Text of the 30-page, proposed $5.5 billion measure

Text of the revised version of initiative as of Nov. 14, 2019

A summary of the measure from the California Stem Cell Report

A summary of the measure from the stem cell agency

A critique of the proposal by CIRM board member Jeff Sheehy

A critique of the proposal by CIRM grant recipient Jeanne Loring

An eight-page statement from Robert Klein, author of the initiative, to the California Stem Cell Report.

Proposed changes in the initiative offered by its sponsor, Robert Klein

How CIRM can write its own initiative

An article on CIRM board reaction to the initiative, complaints about "handcuffs"

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A Reading List for California's $40 Million Stem Cell Genomics Round

Here are links to recent stories dealing with the California stem cell agency's $40 million stem cell genomics round -- a plan to make the state the world leader in the new field.

Thursday Jan. 23, 2014
California's Stem Cell Genomics Awards: An Untidy Affair
The California stem cell agency's $40 million genomics round seems to be turning into a bit of a muddle.

Friday Jan. 24, 2014
Stanford Genomics Consortium Likely Winner in $33 Million Stem Cell Agency Project
A seven-member consortium led by Stanford University's Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine is expected next week to win a $33 million award from the California stem cell agency to create a stem cell genomics center.

Saturday Jan. 25, 2014
California's $40 Million Genomics Round: Charges of Unfairness, Factual Error and More
Scientists at two major California research institutions have leveled charges that the state stem cell agency's $40 million genomics round is tainted with unfair and non-scientific considerations along with factual errors, manipulation of scores and apparent preferential treatment.

Sunday Jan. 26, 2014
Sacramento Bee: California Stem Cell Agency Betting Big on Genomics
The Sacramento Bee today published an article by the publisher of the California Stem Cell Report on this week's $40 million genomics round and its significance. The Associated Press picked up the story and distributed it nationally.

Sunday Jan. 26, 2014
Alan Trounson's Opaque Messages, Genomics and $40 Million
Cryptic is probably a good word for the messages delivered last week by the president of the California stem cell agency, Alan Trounson, in his recommendations in the agency's $40 million genomics round. Odd might be another.

Monday Jan. 27, 2014
California's $40 Million Genomics Round and Conflicts of Interest
Concerns about conflicts of interest have dogged the California stem cell agency since its earliest days, and they continue into this week's $40 million genomics round.

Monday Jan. 27, 2014
California's $40 Million Genomics Awards: Stem Cell Agency Defends its Review Practices
The California stem cell agency today defended itself against charges that scoring on grant applications was manipulated in its $40 million genomics grant round to the benefit of a consortium headed by Stanford University researchers.

Wednesday Jan. 29, 2014
California Stem Cell Agency Withholds Key Information in $40 Million Genomics Proposals
The California stem cell agency has declined to disclose publicly a critical criteria – the amount of matching funds offered by each applicant -- in its ambitious $40 million genomics round scheduled to be acted on later today.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

CSCR Reading List: A Look at the Grant Appeal Process at the California Stem Cell Agency


Here is a list of articles from the California Stem Cell Report as well as CIRM documents dealing with the grant appeal process at the California stem cell agency. The list was prepared on Aug. 16, 2012. To read the entire articles, click on the links.

Articles from the California Stem Cell Report

Aug. 7, 2012
A tiny opening exists for scientists who failed to win approval last month of their bids for $20 million research awards from the California stem cell agency.

July 26, 2012
Directors of the California stem cell agency today approved $151 million in research awards aimed at commercializing stem cell research and pushing therapies into clinical treatment....Five of the applications involving appeals were sent back by the board for more review. (See herehere and here.) They will be considered again in early September or October.

July 24, 2012
The California stem cell agency's latest grant round – which is budgeted for $243 million – has drawn an extraordinary and record outpouring of appeals from more than half of the scientists rejected by the grant reviewers. Nine of the 15 applicants who were turned down have filed appeals to the governing board for its meeting Thursday in Burlingame. No other CIRM grant round has drawn as high a percentage of appeals, formally known as extraordinary petitions. (See here for a story on the previous record for percentage of appeals.)

Aug. 10, 2010
Emotionalism and Potential Favoritism Cited as Need for Changes in CIRM Grant Appeals
Passion and favoritism, democracy and gamesmanship – all are part of the ongoing discussion among directors of the $3 billion California stem cell agency as they try to fix what some of them call a “broken” grant appeal process.

July 19, 2010
UC Davis Scientist Praises CIRM Appeals Change
A stem cell researcher at UC Davis today said a change in the CIRM grant appeals procedure makes “a lot of sense.” Writing on his blog in regard to "extraordinary petitions," Paul Knoepfler said, “I think the proposed change makes a lot of sense and would greatly improve the process. Sometimes the reasons in the petitions are clearly not meritorious and as it now stands, they end up wasting CIRM's time. The last time CIRM received 9 petitions as well, which represented a remarkably large fraction of the total applications. A stricter process would discourage the submission of large numbers of petitions, an important issue given that the number of petitions received by CIRM continues to grow.”

CIRM Finally Discloses Grant Appeal Proposals
The California stem cell agency early today belatedly posted a two-page memo on proposed changes in how it will deal with appeals by scientists whose grant applications have been rejected by reviewers.

July 18, 2010
Sticky, Troubling Appeals by Rejected Researchers Targeted by Stem Cell Agency
A key step in the process for awarding billions of dollars in research grants is “broken,” according to many directors of the California stem cell agency, and major changes are looming that will affect hundreds of scientists.

June 22, 2010
Immunology Grants: CIRM Gives $25 Million to 19 Researchers
Directors of the California stem cell agency today approved $25 million for immunology research, overturning four negative decisions by its grant reviewers. Directors faced a record nine public petitions to reverse its reviewers. After some grumbling, the directors, who see only a summary of the application and reviewer comments, okayed the four.

June 19, 2010
More Grant Appeals Filed: Yamanaka Invoked
The California stem cell agency has set another benchmark, although this is one that it may not want to trot out at international stem cell gatherings. Eight scientists whose applications were rejected for funding by the CIRM grants working group and scientific reviewers are seeking to overturn those decisions at the agency's board meeting in San Diego on Tuesday. It is the largest number of “extraordinary petitions” ever filed and amounts to more than one out of every four applications that were turned down. The total number of applications received was 44. Fifteen were approved. Some of the researchers are likely to appear at the board meeting and make a personal pitch.

May 18, 2010
Competing for California Stem Cell Cash: Rules of the Game Coming Under Scrutiny
Every California stem cell scientist and researcher looking to join the field – be they from academia or business – should pay very close attention to a meeting next week of a key group of directors of the $3 billion California stem cell agency. They plan to discuss possible changes in how scientists compete for stem cell cash, which is no small matter since CIRM has another $2 billion to hand out over the next several years.

CIRM documents

Pre-application review – CIRM report (Jan. 2010) on the process

Extraordinary petition policy – Version as of 5/25/10

Appeal policy – Version as of 5/25/2010

Transcript of July 20, 2010, meeting of CIRM directors Science Subcommittee. Discussion of petitions begins on page 40.

Transcript of the June 22, 2010, CIRM directors meeting. Discussions of extraordinary petitions begin on pages 24 and 67.

Transcript of 5/25/10 Science Subcommittee meeting dealing with appeals issue. Discussion begins on page 99.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

CSCR Reading List: Grant Appeals at the California Stem Cell Agency

Here is a list of articles from the California Stem Cell Report and CIRM documents dealing with the grant appeal process at the California stem cell agency. The list was prepared on Sept. 20, 2010. To read the entire articles, click on the links.

Articles from the California Stem Cell Report

Aug. 10, 2010
Emotionalism and Potential Favoritism Cited as Need for Changes in CIRM Grant Appeals
Passion and favoritism, democracy and gamesmanship – all are part of the ongoing discussion among directors of the $3 billion California stem cell agency as they try to fix what some of them call a “broken” grant appeal process.

July 19, 2010
UC Davis Scientist Praises CIRM Appeals Change
A stem cell researcher at UC Davis today said a change in the CIRM grant appeals procedure makes “a lot of sense.” Writing on his blog in regard to "extraordinary petitions," Paul Knoepfler said, “I think the proposed change makes a lot of sense and would greatly improve the process. Sometimes the reasons in the petitions are clearly not meritorious and as it now stands, they end up wasting CIRM's time. The last time CIRM received 9 petitions as well, which represented a remarkably large fraction of the total applications. A stricter process would discourage the submission of large numbers of petitions, an important issue given that the number of petitions received by CIRM continues to grow.”

CIRM Finally Discloses Grant Appeal Proposals
The California stem cell agency early today belatedly posted a two-page memo on proposed changes in how it will deal with appeals by scientists whose grant applications have been rejected by reviewers.

July 18, 2010
Sticky, Troubling Appeals by Rejected Researchers Targeted by Stem Cell Agency
A key step in the process for awarding billions of dollars in research grants is “broken,” according to many directors of the California stem cell agency, and major changes are looming that will affect hundreds of scientists.

June 22, 2010
Immunology Grants: CIRM Gives $25 Million to 19 Researchers
Directors of the California stem cell agency today approved $25 million for immunology research, overturning four negative decisions by its grant reviewers. Directors faced a record nine public petitions to reverse its reviewers. After some grumbling, the directors, who see only a summary of the application and reviewer comments, okayed the four.

June 19, 2010
More Grant Appeals Filed: Yamanaka Invoked
The California stem cell agency has set another benchmark, although this is one that it may not want to trot out at international stem cell gatherings. Eight scientists whose applications were rejected for funding by the CIRM grants working group and scientific reviewers are seeking to overturn those decisions at the agency's board meeting in San Diego on Tuesday. It is the largest number of “extraordinary petitions” ever filed and amounts to more than one out of every four applications that were turned down. The total number of applications received was 44. Fifteen were approved. Some of the researchers are likely to appear at the board meeting and make a personal pitch.

May 18, 2010
Competing for California Stem Cell Cash: Rules of the Game Coming Under Scrutiny
Every California stem cell scientist and researcher looking to join the field – be they from academia or business – should pay very close attention to a meeting next week of a key group of directors of the $3 billion California stem cell agency. They plan to discuss possible changes in how scientists compete for stem cell cash, which is no small matter since CIRM has another $2 billion to hand out over the next several years.

CIRM documents

Pre-application review – CIRM report (Jan. 2010) on the process

Extraordinary petition policy – Version as of 5/25/10

Appeal policy – Version as of 5/25/2010

Transcript of July 20, 2010, meeting of CIRM directors Science Subcommittee. Discussion of petitions begins on page 40.

Transcript of the June 22, 2010, CIRM directors meeting. Discussions of extraordinary petitions begin on pages 24 and 67.

Transcript of 5/25/10 Science Subcommittee meeting dealing with appeals issue. Discussion begins on page 99.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

CIRM Salaries: More Than You Want to Know

Salaries at the California stem cell agency tend to be generous when compared to most other state agencies and have triggered comments from some that they are, in fact, “outrageous.”

However, in 2009 the salary of CIRM President Alan Trounson was only $490,182.97, well below the $2.3 million for the head football coach, Jeff Tedford, at the Berkeley campus of the University of California. Tedford earned the most of any of California's public servants that year. No. 2 was another UC coach. No. 3 was an academic with $1.9 million. He is Timothy H. McCalmont, a professor of clinical pathology and dermatology at UC San Francisco.

Nonetheless, Trounson, Tedford and McCalmont all share one common characteristic. Their salaries are of a magnitude that makes California voters gasp and shudder. They have a visceral, negative reaction to what they regard as excessive wages for government employees – a reaction that is not necessarily perfectly rational.

The governor, who makes $212,179, and state lawmakers, who make $116,208, effectively can do nothing to change CIRM salaries. Prop. 71, which created the stem cell agency, walled it off from mischievous fingers that might want to meddle.

Currently CIRM's executive salaries are below the radar of both public and news media. But CIRM is considering proposing, as soon as two years from now, another multibillion dollar ballot measure to extend the existence of the stem cell research effort. That could raise significantly the attention level of the salaries.

Interestingly, the agency partly justifies its salaries on the basis that the agency could go out of business as soon as 2015 when it may run out of its original $3 billion. However, an additional $4 billion bond measure could prolong its life for another 10 years or more.

We have written from time to time about salary issues at CIRM. The agency itself has a number of pertinent documents. But dredging up all the relevant material can be laborious. To help readers navigate the salary information, we have prepared a reading list of stem cell agency documents, a state salary database and selected articles from the California Stem Cell Report. More items can be found on this web site by searching on the term “salaries.”

We will be preparing more reading lists on California stem cell topics. If you would like to see a reading list on a particular subject, please send a note along to djensen@californiastemcellreport.com. Or you can simply make a request via the “comment” function at the end of this item. Just click on the word “comment.”

The salaries reading list can be found here and here.

CSCR Reading List: Salaries at the California Stem Cell Agency

Here are links to articles and California stem cell agency documents dealing with CIRM salaries, which are high compared to many state agencies and which have come under fire from time to time.

CIRM salary ranges

Searchable Sacramento Bee database on salaries of all state employees, including the University of California and the California state university system

CIRM compensation policy

CIRM compensation philosophy
This document attempts to make the case for the high salaries that exist at CIRM at some levels. Among other things, the agency says,
“CIRM employees must be intelligent, entrepreneurial, motivated, flexible, confident in their own abilities, and committed to stem cell science. To retain this special level of employee, CIRM’s employment policy must reflect and reward the uniqueness of a CIRM employee.”
It also says,
“CIRM’s anticipated life-span is 10-14 years, which rules out the possibility of a long-term career track that is available for many civil service positions in the UC system.”
Here are California Stem Cell Report articles dealing with compensation. Others have been published and can be found by searching on the term “salaries” on this web site.

A Matter for CIRM to Ponder: California's Visceral Reaction to High Salaries for Public Servants, July 25, 2010

Science vs. Salaries: What Do People Talk About? Dec. 14, 2009

Stem Cell PR, Salaries and Mixed Messages, Dec. 10, 2009

New CIRM Figures Show 25 Percent Budget Increase, June 17, 2009
“The largest component of the budget goes for salaries and benefits, which are projected at $7.4 million for 47 employees. That is $1.9 million more than this year's estimated figure of $5.5 million. Personnel costs next year amount to an average of roughly $150,000 in salaries and benefits for each CIRM employee.”
CIRM Executive Salaries Take a Hit, April 9, 2008
"Should the president of the California stem cell agency, with roughly 26 employees, be paid $300,000 more annually than the director of the National Institutes of Health, which has nearly 19,000 staffers?"

Monday, June 28, 2010

Stem Cell Information Resource

A Silicon Valley firm has compiled a fine list of sources dealing with stem cell issues and regenerative medicine, ranging from investment info to links to reports on stem cell research in China and Singapore.

The list of resources was put up by Proteus Venture Partners. Many of the sources are familiar but the list is long and comprehensive. Sad to say, it does not include the California Stem Cell Report.

You can find the information roundup here.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Tracking the Wild CIRM

Looking for more on the history of the California stem cell agency?

Here are two Internet sites – other than our particular collection here on the California Stem Cell Report -- that collect stories on California stem cell events that have occurred since Prop. 71 was passed in 2004

The first is on Sfgate.com and includes a variety of stories and video.

The second is healthvote.org. It carries a great deal of material, including TV ads from the campaign. Its news watch feature is useful but not up to date and not complete. Here is the "check up" segment that includes an article that addresses the question of “what has happened since the election?

Friday, May 28, 2010

Reading List on CIRM Grant Appeals

Here are links to items related to the CIRM grant appeal process and other pertinent issues. They include CIRM documents and items from the California Stem Cell Report.  


This list was revised and updated July 19, 2010.

Competing for California Stem Cell Cash: Rules of the Game Coming Under Scrutiny 5/18/2010

Stem Cell Grant Competition: Remove CIRM Directors From Appeals?
5/23/10

Sticky, Troubling Appeals by Rejected Researchers Targeted by Stem Cell Agency 7/18/10


Pre-application review – Most recent CIRM report (Jan. 2010) on the process

Extraordinary petition policy – Version as of 5/25/10

Appeal policy – Version as of 5/25/2010

Transcript of 5/25/10 Science Subcommittee meeting dealing with appeals issue

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Reading List on CIRM Conflicts of Interest

For more insight into the conflict-of-interest issues at the California stem cell agency, here are several pieces that examine the problem. More can be found by searching on the label “conflicts” at the end of items.

Conflicts of Interest, CIRM and Transparency(2008)
“Do conflicts of interest exist among the scientists who make the de facto decisions on hundreds of millions of dollars in California grants for research related to embryonic stem cells? The answer? Yes.

CIRM Says No to Auditor's Conflicts Concerns(2007)
“Elaine Howle, the California state auditor, knows a great deal about the mischief that goes on in state government. And make no mistake about it, mischief does occur even when the multibillion dollar battle ground is in public and the economic interests are on full display.  She also knows that the mischief can grow even greater when the doors are closed and the financial interests of the major players are hidden from the public, such as in the case of grants awarded by California's $3 billion stem cell agency.”

Burnham's Reed Warned by State Ethics Agency on Conflict of Interest(2009)
“California's government ethics overseers have issued a "warning letter" to a director of the California stem cell agency for attempting to influence the agency's staff to reverse a denial of a $638,000 grant to his research organization.” 

CIRM Grant Review: Questions About Fairness, Conflicts and Accuracy(2008)
This includes complaints from a researcher from Advanced Cell Technology about how CIRM interprets its financial conflict of interest policy.

“Nature” Assesses CIRM, Warns of Conflicts of Interest(2008)
“Nature magazine took a run at the California stem cell agency today, producing a fine overview and an editorial that warned of "cronyism" on its board of directors.”

Saturday, November 28, 2009

CIRM Grant Management Info and Costs

Here is a rundown on key documents related to CIRM's $1.2 million-plus expenditures on its grant management system.

Articles from the
California Stem Cell Report

Cost Overruns and Candor from CIRM – May 29, 2008

Vagueness in CIRM budget
, June 2009, with some info on the system:“The budget does not appear to contain a straight-forward accounting of all the past costs associated with the Grantium program or the projected cost of the new system. It appears to be something in the neighborhood of $610,000.”

CIRM's Troubled Grant Management System: A $1 Billion Oversight Matter
– July 13, 2009

CIRM Grant Oversight Receives $150,000 Boost – July 22, 2009

California Courts and CIRM: Both Troubled by Technology Problems – Oct. 25, 2009

CIRM Documents

Transcript
, CIRM directors meeting, October 2007, during which CIRM staff said the cost would not exceed $757,000

CIRM document describing grant management system as a risk – June 2009

First public accounting of CIRM expenditures on grant management system, November 2009

Monday, November 09, 2009

Rundown on Grant Termination Stories

Our grant termination story last week is continuing to draw readers. However, other stories were carried as far back as last April. Here is a complete list of articles on the subject.

April 24, 2009
CIRM: Some Scientists' Grants to be Pulled

Some researchers who have been funded by California's $3 billion stem cell agency are going to lose their grants because of a lack of progress, according to a top CIRM official.

June 14, 2009
CIRM Pulls a Grant, Aggressive Monitoring Reported
In what appears to be a first, the California stem cell agency has pulled at least one grant from one of its researchers, apparently because of a lack of progress.

June 17, 2009
CIRM Pulls Three Grants from Researchers

SAN DIEGO -- The California stem cell agency tonight said it has terminated three research grants for lack of progress, but declined to release immediately the names of the researchers or the institutions involved.

Nov. 2, 2009
CIRM Scrutinizes Grantee Performance: The Tale of Three Terminations

Playing the rich uncle to California stem cell researchers is unquestionably satisfying, but the folks at the state's $3 billion stem cell agency sometimes bear messages for scientists that may be less than warmly received.

Text of Csete's Description of CIRM Grant Monitoring


CSCR Withholds Names of Terminated Grantees to Avoid Unnecessary Harm
The California Stem Cell Report is not naming the three scientists whose grants were terminated by the state's stem cell agency because doing so would unnecessarily damage their reputations.

CIRM as Regulator, Compliance Enforcer

In addition to handing out $3 billion in grants to California stem cell researchers, CIRM is also a regulator, monitoring the conduct of its grantees' research to ensure they adhere to the agency's stringent ethical standards.

Nov. 5, 2009
More on the Tale of Three Terminations

Some confusion has arisen in connection with a story in the Scientist magazine concerning our account of the termination of three grants by the California stem cell agency. In an attempt to clarify the situation, we are providing more information on the decision by the California Stem Cell Report to withhold the names of the researchers and also on the actions of the California stem cell agency.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Looking at CIRM Grant Appeals Issues

Here are links to documents relating to the California stem cell agency and complaints about fairness in its grant review process.

Text of CIRM policy on appeals via "extraordinary petition."

An October 2008 examination of transparency and conflict of interest issues

Consumer Watchdog Identifies Businesses Rejected for CIRM Grants

First ever successful conflict appeal, December 2008

CIRM's August 2008 proposal for a reconsideration procedure

Transcript
of August 2008 CIRM Meeting

Proposal by CIRM Director Jeff Sheehy on grant appeals, July 2008.

First mainstream media article ( July 2008) about complaints about fairness in CIRM grant-making

Cascade LifeSciences Seeks Reconsideration

Text of Cascade's Reconsideration Letter

CIRM Response to Cascade

Transcript
of June 2008 CIRM Meeting Involving Cascade

Transcript of the January 2008 CIRM directors meeting, which heard the first public appeal of a scientific review. Search on the term "luben," which is the misspelling of the name of Bertram Lubin, president of Childrens Hospital Oakland Research Institute, who appeared before the directors seeking reconsideration.

Nature magazine article April 30, 2008, in which Lubin comments on CIRM

California Stem Cell Report account of part of the January meeting involving the Lubin appeal.

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