The State of New Jersey believes that the application of stem cell biology promises the development of cell-based therapies for diseases previously considered intractable and could generate a surge in associated technological innovations contributing to economic development in the state.

The purpose of the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Grant Program is:

1. To advance New Jersey’s position as a leader in scientific research and bring the benefits of stem cell research to New Jersey residents
2. To encourage and enable the state’s renowned research and life sciences communities to develop new, innovative treatments for patients
3. To support ground-breaking research that contributes to the understanding of stem cells and their potential
4. To generate economic opportunity and job growth in New Jersey by accelerating commercialization of new therapies and new technologies related to stem cell research

With the continued limits on federal funding of stem cell research, the State of New Jersey is now accepting applications for its Stem Cell Research Grant Program. In order to meet the goals of both patient treatment and economic development, the Commission will seek to fund proposals that demonstrate means for translation to patient treatment.

In 2008 the Commission on Science and Technology will award.  

• Exploratory Research Grants
• Individual Research Grants
• Core facilities grants to support multi-institutional stem cell work.

Entities eligible to apply include all New Jersey academic and non-profit institutions, as well as for-profit companies collaborating with non-profit organizations.

Submission Deadlines

The following deadlines must be met for the application to be considered for funding.

The following process will be used to award the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Grants:

• • Letter of Intent Deadline - July 20, 2008
  • Full Proposal Deadline – August 20, 2008
  • Review Process
• All proposals will be subjected to both a scientific and ethical review.
• The independent, scientific review is handled by a panel of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to “advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society.” The AIBS research panel uses nationally recognized criteria to assign each proposal a scientific merit score reflecting the overall impact of the project on the field, how innovative the project is and the competence of the research plan.
• A thorough ethics review is also conducted, led by Dr. Harold Shapiro, chairman of the state Ethics Advisory Panel for stem cell research, President Emeritus of Princeton University and past chairman of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission for President Clinton. The Ethics panel is guided by the National Academy of Science’s 2005 Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and the New Jersey Human Stem Cell Research Act
• Grant Decisions – October 2008 – at an open public meeting
• In order to meet the goals of both patient treatment and economic development, the NJCST will fund proposals that demonstrate a means for translation to patient treatment and that created a foundation and capacity in New Jersey for a vibrant stem cell research/biotech/patient treatment community.