The $3 billion California stem cell agency reports that its governing board will meet 12 times this year, mostly in teleconference sessions that will also have access on the Internet.
The business of the board is largely ratifying awards approved earlier by its grant reviewers. However, its financial survival will be a topic of regular discussion this year. The agency expects to run out of cash for new awards before the end of the year. It is hoping that voters will renew its funding with $5 billion in the fall of 2020.
Four "in-person" meetings are scheduled this year during which most of the board will gather at the agency's headquarters in Oakland. They are scheduled to occur in March, May, September and December. Those will be also accessible on the Internet, both for listening or participating.
The meetings of the board offer opportunities for members of the public, including researchers and business representatives, to speak directly to board members and staff of the agency. The in-person sessions are particularly valuable in that regard because of the informality before and after the meetings, as well as during breaks. Seating is somewhat limited at the meetings at the headquarters of the agency.
Dates and times of the meetings may change, however, and should be double-checked as the sessions near. The first meeting of the year is scheduled to be conducted via teleconferencing and is set for Jan. 30.
The official name of the board is the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The formal name of the stem cell agency is the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
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