(a) Prior to the awarding of any financial assistance in response to an application submitted pursuant to section 32-41kk, the Regenerative Medicine Research Advisory Committee, established pursuant to section 32-41ll, shall contract with a third party for the selection of peer reviewers to review such application and make recommendations to said advisory committee with respect to the ethical and scientific merit of such application.

(b) Such peer reviewers shall: (1) Have a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the ethical and medical implications of regenerative medicine research or related research fields, including, but not limited to, embryology, genetics or cellular biology; (2) have practical research experience in regenerative medicine research or related research fields, including, but not limited to, embryology, genetics or cellular biology; (3) work to advance regenerative medicine research; and (4) become and remain fully cognizant of the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, as amended from time to time, and shall utilize said guidelines to evaluate any application pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(c) No peer reviewer shall review any application filed by such peer reviewer or by any eligible institution in which such peer reviewer has a financial interest, or with which such peer reviewer engages in any business, employment, transaction or professional activity.

(d) Such peer reviewers may receive compensation from Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, for reviewing applications submitted pursuant to section 32-41kk. The rate of compensation shall be established by the board of directors of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated.

(e) The Regenerative Medicine Research Advisory Committee shall establish guidelines for the rating and scoring of such applications. In establishing such guidelines, said advisory committee may consult with a third party contracted for the selection of peer reviewers pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(P.A. 05-149, S. 4; P.A. 06-196, S. 209; P.A. 07-252, S. 40; P.A. 08-80, S. 2; P.A. 11-242, S. 19; P.A. 14-98, S. 35; P.A. 15-222, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 05-149 effective June 15, 2005; P.A. 06-196, made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), redesignating existing Subdivs. (1), (2) and (3) as Subparas. (A), (B) and (C), respectively, and adding new Subdiv. (2) authorizing Commissioner of Public Health to appoint additional members to Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee, provided total membership does not exceed 15, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-80 amended Subsec. (e) to require that Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research be utilized to evaluate each grant-in-aid application and to make technical changes; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by making a technical change, added new Subsec. (d) re compensation to peer review committee members and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs. (e) and (f); P.A. 14-98 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee” with “Regenerative Medicine Research Peer Review Committee”, deleting former Subdiv. (2) re appointment of additional members, redesignating existing provisions re member qualifications as new Subdiv. (2), and adding Subdiv. (3) re membership transition from those appointed by Commissioner of Public Health to those appointed by chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, amended Subsec. (d) by changing compensation for members from Stem Cell Research Fund to Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, amended Subsec. (f) by deleting provision re guideline recommendations, and replaced references to embryonic or human adult stem cell with references to regenerative medicine and made technical and conforming changes throughout; Sec. 19a-32g transferred to Sec. 32-41mm in 2015; P.A. 15-222 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (c) re Regenerative Medicine Research Peer Review Committee with new Subsecs. (a) to (c) re peer review of applications for financial assistance, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing reference to committee with reference to peer reviewers and replacing “grant-in-aid applications submitted by eligible institutions” with “applications submitted pursuant to section 32-41kk”, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “Regenerative Medicine Research Peer Review Committee” with “Regenerative Medicine Research Advisory Committee” and adding provisions re establishment of guidelines for rating and consultation with a third party, and deleted former Subsec. (f) re guidelines, effective July 1, 2015.