[Editorial] Stem cell dollars flow; But grant process is needlessly shrouded

California's stem cell research institute has received little attention of late, and agency officials probably prefer it that way. But while the media have been off covering sex scandals involving mayors and astronauts, the Institute for Regenerative Medicine has been quietly preparing, for the first time in its two-year history, to dispense millions of public dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

This week, on Thursday and Friday, the institute's oversight committee will meet in San Francisco to decide on roughly $24 million in grants for new stem cell researchers with innovative ideas. While that may be pocket change compared with the $3 billion that voters authorized when they endorsed Proposition 71 in 2004, this initial research funding is historic, and other grants totaling about $100 million will soon follow this year.

Taxpayers curious about how their money will be spent can go to the institute's Web site -- www.cirm.ca.gov/publicsummaries/PublicList.html -- to see the 30 scientific proposals recommended for funding. The site also includes 200 other projects that didn't make the cut, with summaries and scientific assessments -- some of them...