House lawmakers in Massachusetts on 27 February passed a bill that would provide $1 billion to life sciences in the state over ten years. The state Senate is expected to take up the bill next week. If it passes as expected, Massachusetts will be behind only California and Texas in state dollars recently earmarked for biological research.
The Massachusetts package features $250 million in grants, including $25 million in paediatric stem-cell research training grants; $250 million in tax credits for life-sciences firms that promise to create jobs in the state; and $500 million for bonding for capital investments, including $90 million and $95 million for building life-sciences facilities at the Worcester and Amherst campuses of the University of Massachusetts. Among the grant monies are $5.7 million for a stem-cell bank and registry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Governor Deval Patrick introduced the measure last spring.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Massachusetts gears up to boost cash for life sciences. Nature 452, 15 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/452015b
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/452015b
