May 4, 2025
Senator Scott Weiner
1021 O Street, Suite 8620
Sacramento, CA 95814
Subject: Support SB 829 — California Institute for Scientific Research: CalRx Initiative: vaccines
Dear Senator Weiner:
The Council of University of California Faculty Associations (CUCFA) supports SB 829 (Wiener). This bill would create the California Institute for Scientific Research (CISR). CISR will enable continued scientific advancement by awarding grants and making loans to public or private research companies, universities, institutes, and organizations for scientific research and development. The recent federal defunding of research is part of a political attack on science and higher education more generally. These pyrrhic actions at the federal level provide an opportunity for California.
California has a strong history of leadership in scientific research, particularly in areas where federal funding has been limited. Approximately twenty years ago, when federal restrictions on stem cell research hindered progress, Californians voted overwhelmingly for the state to take the lead and fund new initiatives. This bold decision led to the establishment of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and groundbreaking research that has informed treatments for Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and Type 1 diabetes. The first $2.67 billion invested by CIRM put over $15 billion into the economy (source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-life-sciences/california-stem-cell-agency-put- 15-billion-into-u-s-economy).
The initiative was so widely supported that eight years later, even after the federal government had loosened its self-imposed restrictions, Californians voted to double down on the state stem cell program, demonstrating a sustained commitment to this critical field.
The University of California has had hundreds of millions of dollars in federal awards terminated so far this year, and we believe that these losses will increase. These cuts strip research funding for things like agriculture, computing, clean energy, artificial intelligence, genomics, transportation, hydrology, solar energy, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease, and many other research areas for the public good.
Scientific research and innovation are the engines that have driven California’s economic success for decades. University research has led to the founding of thousands of startups, driving economic expansion and technological innovation. Funding reductions limit research opportunities, slowing the state’s competitiveness and economic progress.
For these reasons, CUCFA supports SB 829, as this bill reaffirms California’s leadership in scientific advancement and its commitment to science-based public policy
Sincerely,
Constance Penley,
President, Council of UC Faculty Associations