This level of interest outpaces the 86 requests received in the fund's first year and the 127 requests received last year. Now that the fund is entering its third year and is an integral part of Gov. Martin O'Malley's Bio 2020 Initiative, let's take a look and see how the state's investment is being put to work.

In 2006, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and the Maryland General Assembly established the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund with the purpose of promoting state-funded stem cell research and cures through grants to public and private entities in Maryland. The creation of the fund was in reaction to the 2001 executive order by President George W. Bush limiting support for embryonic stem cell research, and was one of the first state funds created in the United States.

The clear purpose of the fund was to put Maryland on the national and international map in the developing area of stem cell research. The fund is open to Maryland-based organizations of all types (including, public and private, for profit and nonprofit, universities, colleges, research institutions, companies, medical centers and others) and companies not located in Maryland that are willing to move to Maryland prior to receiving an award.

Depending on the category of award, awards can range from $55,000 to $300,000 per year and can be from one to five years in length. The three categories are Investigator-Initiated Grants; Exploratory Research Grants; and Post-Doctoral Research Grants.

To date, the fund has allocated a total of $38 million to 82 scientific projects, leaning heavily toward academic research dominated by scientists at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, with only one award going to a private company.

As someone who makes a living in the life sciences industry, which is highly reliant upon government assistance, I often find myself torn between the competing interests of supporting the industry in which I make a living and a desire to see government funds used appropriately. I often feel that when government dollars are spent supporting an industry, the main goal of such spending should be the creation of private-sector jobs either through the creation of new companies or the expansion of current companies. With this as a backdrop, there could be a certain amount of disappointment based upon how the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund dollars have been allocated to this point because, with one exception, none of the money has gone to private companies.

However, one must keep in mind that stem cell research is an industry still in its infancy and requires a significant amount of investment that private industry cannot always afford. Therefore, it makes sense that the early development of stem cells will be driven by government-subsidized research and by universities and government research organizations that typically have the infrastructure necessary to support novel areas of research. Furthermore, the initial feedback from the university recipients of the funds has been that, with the state's investment, the universities have been successful in luring new scientists to the state and keeping other scientists they might have otherwise lost to other states. Notwithstanding this positive feedback, the time will come when the state should consider narrowing the focus of the fund from merely growing an industry to creating jobs.

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund was created several years ago to position Maryland at the forefront of stem cell research. With the change of administration set to occur in January, one can imagine that significant federal dollars will start to be invested in stem cell research. As a result of the state's previous investment, Maryland should be well-positioned to become a leader in stem cell research. Therefore, the time will come when the state should focus on creative ways to use investment dollars to help create high-paying private-sector jobs in Maryland. With this achievement, Maryland will fully realize the benefits of its investment.

Post your comments »