When most people think of Board meetings the usual image is of a fairly dry, business-focused talk around a big table. Clearly those people have never been to a meeting of our Board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC).

They are never dry, or dull, and today’s Board meeting is likely to be even livelier than usual. That’s not too surprising. Any time you put $80 million up for grabs you are bound to generate some interest, even excitement, among researchers.

Up to $40 million of that total is focused on creating a Centers of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics, a completely new approach to stem cell research that brings together genomics – the study of the complete genetic make-up of a cell – with stem cell research. The goal is to use these tools to gain a deeper understanding of the disease processes and ultimately to find safer and more effective ways of using stem cells in medical research and therapy.

The other $40 million is for Basic Biology. These awards go to researchers trying to advance the field by tackling significant, unresolved issues in human stem cell biology.

There’s a lot at stake, and it’s bound to provoke a fascinating discussion. And you can hear it all live. There are a number of options for listening in or following the meeting either by phone or online. Here they are:

Dial Information:Dial In Number: (866) 254-5935 Confirmation Number: 317421

Audio Cast:
To access the live event or archive, use this URL: https://im.csgsystems.com/cgi-bin/confCast
Enter Conference ID# 317421. Then click Go.  

WebEx Info
To join the event as an attendee go to
https://cirm.webex.com/cirm/onstage/g.php?d=805281818&t=a&EA=acheung%40c… 
2. Click “Join Now“.

And of course if you can’t make the meeting we’ll bring you all the highlights in our blog tomorrow.

kevin mcormack