RFA 13-06 is one of two RFAs released as part of the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics (CASC) Network Initiative. The overall goal of the initiative is to accelerate therapeutic development and delivery of stem cell therapies by providing a high-quality, efficient infrastructure to support clinical research emanating from CIRMs funding pipeline as well as non-CIRM funded investigator- or industry-sponsored trials.

The CASC Initiative consists of two linked Requests for Applications (RFAs) that will be co-released:

The Alpha Stem Cell Clinics will provide critical operational support for the conduct of clinical trials for investigational stem cell therapies and will operate as a center of excellence for approved stem cell therapies. They will provide focused resources and expertise in clinical research with novel stem cell-based products, and an array of critical clinical operations support and patient care coordination personnel and resources. These activities would be integrated into the larger CASC network, utilizing efficient and standardized methods to accomplish its goals and activities.

Please see the RFA for full details. RFA 13-06: CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Awards [pdf]

Informational Webinar CIRM conducted a webinar for prospective applicants on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 to address questions about both RFA 13-06 and 13-07 and the application process. Click the following links for a recording of the webinar and supplemental materials:

Further reading: Appendix A Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Concept Statement [pdf] Appendix B Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Delivering a New Kind of Medicine [pdf] Appendix C The Alpha Stem Cell Clinic: A Model for Evaluating and Delivering Stem Cell-Based Therapies [pdf]

Submission of an application for a CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Awards involves a two-step process. A Program Director may only submit one LOI for this RFA and only one LOI will be accepted from each Institution. In addition to the Authorized Organizational Official (AOO) authorization, each LOI must be signed by an Authorized Executive Officer (AEO) who is an organizational official (e.g. Vice-Chancellor, Dean, etc.) with the authority, to nominate the institutions sole candidate for this award. An eligible applicant must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to CIRM following the instructions below. In the second step of the process, eligible applicants will submit a full application.

The Letter of Intent (LOI) must be submitted via the CIRM Grants Management Portal, as follows:

The LOI must be received by CIRM no later than 5:00 pm (PST) on December 16, 2013 via the CIRM Grants Management Portal. No exceptions to this deadline will be made.

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Alpha Stem Cell Clinics | California's Stem Cell Agency