CIRM invested $46 million in education through the COMPASS training program (Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science).
In addition, education is central to CIRM’s mission to accelerate world‑class science and deliver regenerative medicine treatments equitably to a diverse California and world. By funding these programs, CIRM helps ensure the state has a well‑trained stem cell workforce.
COMPASS
The objective of COMPASS is to prepare a diverse group of undergraduate students for careers in regenerative medicine. To achieve this, the program combines hands‑on research with strategic, structured mentorship.
As Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, Chair of the CIRM Board, explains, “Education and infrastructure are two funding pillars critical for creating the next generation of researchers and supporting stem‑cell‑based clinical trials. Proposition 14 recognized the importance of these programs, and we expect they will remain central to CIRM’s mission and strategic direction for years to come.”
Undergraduates
Currently, most undergraduate research programs—including those serving underserved students—focus on applicants with defined academic credentials and clear plans for graduate school, medical school, or academic careers. In contrast, COMPASS will develop new strategies to identify and support untapped talent. As a result, these approaches will bring fresh perspectives to regenerative medicine and open pathways to careers that students often cannot see from a traditional undergraduate environment.
Furthermore, COMPASS will complement—not compete with—CIRM’s Bridges program, which serves a different but equally important group of undergraduates. Likewise, the program is unlikely to compete for students who typically receive support through major NIH training programs such as MARC and RISE.
Grants List
| Application number | Title | Principal Investigator | Amount |
| EDUC5-13840 | The COMPASS Scholars Program | John Matsui, University of California, Berkeley | $2,908,950 |
| EDUC5-13634 | COMPASS Undergraduate Program | Alice F Tarantal, University of California, Davis | $2,909,950 |
| EDUC5-13637 | Research Mentorship Program in Regenerative Medicine Careers | Brian J. Cummings, University of California, Irvine | $2,729,900 |
| EDUC5-13665 | CIRM COMPASS Training Program (N-COMPASS) | Cindy S Malone, The University Corporation at California State University, Northridge | $2,909,700 |
| EDUC5-13817 | COMPASS: Accelerating Stem Cell Research | Tracy L Johnson, University of California, Los Angeles | $2,910,000 |
| EDUC5-13744 | Training and mentorship program in stem cell biology and engineering | Dennis Clegg, University of California, Santa Barbara | $2,746,000 |
| EDUC5-13636 | Research Training and Mentorship Program to Inspire Diverse Undergraduates toward Regenerative Medicine Careers (RAMP) | Huinan Hannah Liu, The Regents of the University of California on behalf of its Riverside Campus | $2,910,000 |
| EDUC5-13679 | Inclusive Pathways for a Stem Cell Scholar (iPSCs) | Lily Chen, San Francisco State University | $2,894,500 |
| EDUC5-13733 | A COMPASS to guide the growth of a diverse regenerative medicine workforce | Kristen OHalloran Cardinal, Cal Poly Corporation, an Auxiliary of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | $2,887,939 |
| EDUC5-13619 | Increase Diversity, Equity, and Advancement in Cell Based Manufacturing Sciences (IDEA-CBMS) | Michael Fino, MiraCosta College | $2,894,500 |
| EDUC5-13667 | COMPASS Program for Southern California Hispanic Serving Institution | Bianca Romina Mothé, California State University San Marcos Corporation | $2,877,200 |
| EDUC5-13653 | Student Pluripotency: Realizing Untapped Undergraduate Potential in Regenerative Medicine | Daniel Nickerson, California State University, San Bernardino | $2,909,853 |
| EDUC5-13647 | COMPASS: an inclusive Pipeline for Research and Other Stem cell-based Professions in Regenerative medicine (iPROSPR) | Alison Miyamoto, CSU Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation | $2,883,440 |
| EDUC5-13686 | Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB) | Kara E McCloskey, University of California, Merced | $2,909,999 |
| EDUC5-13853 | COMPASS: Guiding Undergraduates to Careers in Regenerative Medicine | Senta Georgia, University of Southern California | $2,899,999 |
| EDUC5-13910 | IDEA-CBMS – Increase Diversity, Equity, and Advancement in Cell Based Manufacturing Sciences | James Dekloe, Solano Community College | $2,894,500 |