Regenerative medicine is a diverse, rapidly evolving field that draws on expertise from biologists, engineers, and clinicians.

Building a skilled workforce

As the field advances, it needs a highly trained workforce to translate discoveries into patient care. That’s why a key goal of CIRM’s five‑year Strategic Plan is to build a diverse, skilled workforce that supports California’s growing regenerative medicine economy.

Since its founding, CIRM has invested in educating the next generation of researchers, leaders, and innovators.

SPARK and Bridges

Through programs such as SPARK and Bridges, CIRM has provided training and career development opportunities for students ranging from high school through college and beyond.

Under the new Strategic Plan, CIRM aims to strengthen workforce development. CIRM does that by making it easier for students to enter the field, advance their careers, and access opportunities. Bringing people from diverse backgrounds into regenerative medicine introduces new perspectives and skills that strengthen research, manufacturing, and commercialization.

CIRM will align workforce training with its other program pillars to create career pathways at multiple levels. By connecting educational programs with the planned California Manufacturing Network, the agency aims to address the growing need for highly trained manufacturing professionals. Through the Alpha Clinics and Community Care Centers, CIRM will also help train Clinical Research Coordinators. These roles are in high demand across the field.

In addition, CIRM’s competency hubs and knowledge networks will support education and training in emerging technologies, computational biology, and data science.

Learn more in CIRM’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan.