In a first, New Jersey awards stem-cell grants

The state became the first in the nation yesterday to fund stem-cell research, awarding grants to 17 researchers at universities, nonprofit institutions and corporate labs.
The grants of up to $300,000 each fund two years of research and were made possible by a $5 million allocation in the $28 billion state budget that acting Gov. Richard J. Codey signed in July. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology chose the recipients from 71 applicants. The researchers will study both adult stem cells, culled from spinal-cord fluid, and embryonic stem cells, which are formed in the first days of pregnancy.
Although California voters approved a $3 billion bond for stem-cell research last year, that state has yet to award any money, making New Jersey the first state to fund stem-cell research.
The New Jersey State Senate approved legislation Thursday that would place a $350 million bond referendum for stem-cell research grants on the ballot in November, but the bill's fate in the Assembly is uncertain during the lame-duck legislative session