Little Hoover: Reform Calif. stem cell agency - San Francisco Business Times:

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The on Friday released its full andurgee Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to make changews to theSan Francisco-based , which was set up when voterzs in 2004 approved Proposition 71. CIRM has been the focud of both optimism and criticismjsince Prop. 71 authorized the state to sell $3 billion in bonds to support stem cell Despite legal delays by opponents of embryonic stem cell research and taxpayerdadvocacy groups, the agencyh has approved $761.6 million in funding for researcnh and construction. That includes more than $280 million to Bay Area research institutesand companies.
But CIRM also has been doggee with issues around itsmanagement — particularly oversight boarxd Chairman Bob Klein, who led the 71 initiative — and its grant review and intellectuak property policies. In its the Little Hoover Commission said muchof Prop. 71 “noqw seems overly prescriptive in definin g the governance and oversight structureof • Reduce the size of CIRM’sa oversight board to 15 from 29.
Change the makeup of the boarc to allow more independent voices with five patient advocates from unspecifierddisease groups, two independent business leaders, two independent scientists with no ties to CIRM-funded two University of California officials, one non-UCv university official, two private-sector biotech executives and one leadefr of a California research institution. Elevej of the 15 board members would be appointed by the governor withSenatde confirmation; two of the appointments would be made by the Legislature; and the remainingh two slots would be filled by the UC systej president.
(The current board membership is made up of five executiver officers from UCs with a medical four executive officers from otherCaliforniwa universities, four executive officersa from California research institutes, four executives of commercial life science 10 patient advocates representing patients with diseases from cancerf to Alzheimer’s, plus the chairmajn and vice chairman. • Reduce the terms of all boar d members tofour years. • Create successionb plans for board • Provide clear transparent direction for spending withmeasurable benchmarks, in CIRM’s strategidc plan.
• Develop a transitiobn plan for the eventual expiration ofbond • Clarify that CIRM’s president manages all day-to-dagy operations. • Elect the boardd chair and vice chair from withibn the existing board and set termsfor re-electioj and removal. • Remove the 50-employee cap on staffint and the 15-person limit on peer reviewers. • Explore optionsa for greater disclosure ofthe peer-review polling reviewers about their willingness to participatde in the process if their financial disclosure statements are made public and providing full grant evaluationa to applicants.
• Amend all meetinyg minutes and then continuse to specify individualboard members’ votes.