Regents to Discuss UCSF Stem Cell Research, Neuroscience Buildings Next Week

The UC Regents will consider two UCSF projects among other matters when they meet on January 16, 17 and 18 at the UCSF Mission Bay Community Center. The Committee on Grounds and Buildings on Tuesday, Jan. 16, will be asked to approve additional funding for the proposed UCSF Institute for Regeneration Medicine building for the Parnassus campus, and will hear an update on the proposed Neurological Disease and Neuroscience Building at the Mission Bay campus. In other news, the UC officials will provide the third annual report on green building, clean energy and sustainable transportation policies on Jan. 16. The Committee on Educational Policy on Wednesday, Jan. 17, will hear a recommendation to revise the policy on fees for selected professional schools, as well as get an update from the study group looking at ways to increase diversity in student enrollment and faculty hiring at the University. The Regents' full agenda and reports on these and other topics are posted here. Stem Cell Building One of the action items for the Committee on Grounds and Buildings is an amendment of the budget for the proposed UCSF Institute for Regeneration Medicine building for the Parnassus campus. The Regents will be asked to approve additional funding of $4.8 million, for a total of $6.3 million to be supported with gift funds for preliminary plans for the building. UCSF is requesting approval to continue development of preliminary plans for the Institute for Regeneration Medicine laboratory building, which calls for creating 45,000 assignable square feet for stem cell research. The building would accommodate 15 to 20 principal investigators, providing space to decompress and consolidate the laboratories of existing faculty and providing space for new faculty. Preliminary plans for the stem cell building also call for a 200-seat auditorium to replace Toland Hall, which is rated seismically poor and is slated for demolition. UCSF intends to apply for capital facilities funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which was established by state voters with the passage of Proposition 71 in November 2004 to distribute $3 billion for research over 10 years. UCSF would proceed to complete the preliminary planning phase for this project, funded completely by gift funds, prior to the time that it would apply for and potentially receive money from the CIRM. The total projected cost of the stem cell research building is estimated to be between $100 million and $116 million. About 25 percent to 35 percent of the total project cost would be associated with extensive site development, utility relocations and central plant extension work. Neurological Disease and Neuroscience Building The Regents' Committee on Grounds and Buildings also is expected to hear an update on a proposed research building to house programs in neurological disease and neuroscience at the Mission Bay campus. UCSF has reevaluated the program and scope of development planned for Block 19A at the Mission Bay campus. The University is now planning to move forward with a larger project of about 115,000 assignable square feet. The proposed facility would include laboratory and clinical research space for 78 principal investigators from the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, as well as researchers from the Department of Neurology. These programs are now housed both at the Parnassus campus and in off-campus leased space. Potential donors have expressed interest in supporting this reconfigured project. UCSF is working with the UC Office of the President to explore construction options for the project. Campus officials will return to the Regents at a later date to request approval for the project, financing plan, design and other issues.