Taking a page from the California playbook on biomedical research [1], Texas has announced plans to invest $3 billion in cancer research over the next 10 years. Not surprisingly, the project draws on some of the state's highest-profile research organizations. The state is already home to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, named after testicular cancer survivor and high-profile athlete Lance Armstrong, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Under the new project, the three will work together along with universities, medical schools and for-profit companies. Gov. Rick Perry didn't hide the fact that the project has a commercial as well as a humanitarian purpose, noting that the new fund would draw high-tech companies and high salaries to the state. To date, it's not clear where the funds will actually come from--though one proposal involves borrowing against bonds to produce $300 million a year--but two of the state's Republican lawmakers have at least committed to sponsor a bill creating the fund. A number of states have jumped on the bandwagon to provide funds for research. New York is examining a proposal from its new governor to offer $2 billion in funding [2], half of which would go to stem cell research.

- read the Washington Post report [3] on the initiative

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