A new victory was scored today for Stem Cell Research, when California awarded $45 million in new research grants to labs and universities statewide.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

The grants were a bonanza for the UC system, with UC San Francisco receiving eight; UCLA seven; UC San Diego and UC Irvine six each; UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis and UC Berkeley receiving two each. Even the new UC Merced got one. The biggest winner was Stanford University, which took home 12 grants. USC received four. The private nonprofit Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla received eight.

The state’s action comes despite the fact that the funding for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine remains tied up in ongoing litigation.  

The message is clear: the state of California intends to support stem cell research, regardless of any roadblocks that may stand in its way.