California's stem-cell institute has penned two international research agreements, including a pact with Canada that will bring in at least US$100 million for cancer-related studies.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will form partnerships with a consortium of Canadian research facilities and the state government of Victoria in Australia, officials announced at last week's BIO International Convention in San Diego, California.

CIRM will decide this autumn precisely how much it will contribute to the partnership with the Canadian Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, which involves agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Ontario. Canadian officials say they have committed $100 million over three years, with the possibility of expanding to $250 million within five years.

Under the Australian agreement, CIRM-funded researchers in California would collaborate with colleagues at institutes in Victoria, such as Monash University — the former home of CIRM president Alan Trounson.