News release from CCISP

News from the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP): The Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) Launches First Call for Proposals with ISTPCanada and the University of California, December 10, 2008 [PDF]. Excerpt:

The CFP will be managed by International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada Inc. (ISTPCanada) and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). It will invite innovators from academia, industry and government to propose bilateral approaches that build on Canada-California complementary strengths, address common challenges and recommend novel solutions with strong commercialization potential in areas such as: Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Green IT, Infectious Diseases, Next-Generation Digital Media and Sustainable Biofuels.

The CCSIP Steering Committee will select the winning proposals by spring 2009. The Committee aims to recommend funding for a minimum of six strategic round tables, workshops or other activities that enable the development of bilateral proposals; and six detailed business plans that could be presented to potential investors. As per previous CCSIP-stimulated initiatives, the outcomes of these projects are expected to attract investment from public and private funders. For example, the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, a concept initially proposed at the inaugural CCSIP Summit in January 2006, garnered a $100 million commitment from Canada earlier this year.

Comment: Note that the CSCC is mentioned in the second of the paragraphs excerpted above (but not the first). Might this call for proposals (CFP) by the CCSIP include consideration of CSCC-related "bilateral approaches" that "build on Canada-California complementary strengths, address common challenges and recommend novel solutions with strong commercialization potential"? Please stay tuned.