The mission of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is to accelerate world-class science to deliver transformative regenerative medicine treatments in an equitable manner to a diverse California and world.
The objective of the Discovery Program at CIRM is to support exploratory research that leads to the discovery of novel stem cell technologies aimed at improving patient care. The Quest Awards, under this program, are designed to promote the discovery of new stem cell-based and gene therapy technologies with the potential for broad use and significant impact on patient care. Projects should involve technologies uniquely enabled by or enabling for human stem/progenitor cells, directly reprogrammed cells, or those aimed at developing a gene therapy approach. Funding aims to produce a novel therapeutic candidate within three years or a device, diagnostic test, or tool ready for translation within two years. CIRM offers up to $500,000 per award for diagnostic tests, devices, or tools with an award duration of up to two years, and up to $1,500,000 per award for therapeutic candidates with a duration of up to three years.