Paterson Announces More Stem Cell Funding

Governor Paterson announced $109 million in funding for stem cell research yesterday as part of a $600 million initiative approved in last year's budget.

The new funding is available to New York-based institutions seeking research collaborations or looking to purchase equipment to use during stem cell research.

"This new funding will strengthen and revitalize New York's biomedical research industry and potentially help thousands of New Yorkers who suffer debilitating diseases," Mr. Paterson said in a statement, in which state health officials announced a request for proposals.

The first round of stem cell funding, awarded in January, focused on increasing the capacity of research institutions to engage in stem cell research. The funding totaled about $15 million and went to 25 institutions.

Yesterday's announcement coincided with a convocation ceremony at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "Human embryonic stem cells offer an unprecedented opportunity to study all aspects of human development," the hospital's president, Dr. Harold Varmus, said in a statement.