ALBANY - Governor David Paterson announced the availability of $21.5 million in state funding for stem cell research in New York State through the release of two Requests for Applications (RFAs).

This latest investment underscores New York’s commitment to stem cell research and its potential to strengthen the State’s position as a national leader in biomedical research.

The $21.5 million will be distributed through two separate RFAs seeking proposals to stimulate stem cell research:

Investigator-Initiated Research Projects and Innovative, Developmental or Exploratory Activities (IDEA) in Stem Cell Research ($15 million) – to stimulate and support basic, applied, translational, pre-clinical and clinical investigations on any aspect of stem cell biology that will lead to a better understanding of the unique properties of stem cells and allow their use to treat disease; and

Targeted Projects in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research ($6.5 million) – to derive and characterize new human embryonic stem cell lines, devise novel and improved derivation methods, increase efficiency in the production of new lines, standardize protocols, and enhance their potential for clinical application.