We, the undersigned scientists, write to register our strong support of Senate Bill 829 (Wiener, 2025), which proposes to create the California Institute for Scientific Research within the Government Operations Agency to award grants and make loans to public or private universities, research companies, institutes, and organizations in the State of California for scientific research and development.
As one of the country’s largest states and the world’s fourth largest economy, California has the world’s greatest network of colleges and universities — including the UC and CSU systems, Stanford, the University of Southern California, the California Institute of Technology, and many others — focused on scientific research and talented scientists, including early stage investigators, working on biomedical and behavioral research. Their innovations contribute enormously to the health and well-being of millions of people around not only the state but also the world, while simultaneously undergirding our state’s economy and tax base.
SB 829 proposes a California Institute for Scientific Research tasked with distributing grants via a rigorous peer review process with an aim to promote research benefitting Californians. This bill provides an opportunity not only to affirm California’s leadership in scientific research and innovation, but also to pioneer new approaches to funding scientific research that spur more innovations to improve the lives of Californians and people around the world.
View the full letter and signers at https://www.fundCAscience.org (your name, position, and institution will be listed publicly).