Maryland has awarded 24 grants to research institutions for stem cell-related studies. The grants are the first given by the state since funding was approved for the measure.

The majority of the grants went to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, but some were also awarded to scientists at RetroTherapy LLC of Bethesda; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland Biotechnical Institute.

The exact amount of each grant was not released, but the state had a $15 million budget for the overall endeavor. Three-year grants based on previous research each had a ceiling of $500,000. Grants entering uncharted areas of study could be for up to two years and $100,000. Maryland’s program is unique because of that second category, which looks at unusual applications for stem cell research.

With this money the state tries to appeal to researchers who are established in different fields, such as bioengineering, said Linda Powers, chairman of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, which administers the grants.

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“We wanted to attract those scientists into stem cell research because they’ll bring other perspectives,” Powers said. She said it often is difficult for new ideas to get funding because most grants from institutions, such as the National Institute of Health, require a prior track record for both the researcher and the area of study.

The grantees’ work must be done in Maryland. Maryland has allotted $23 million in funding for stem cell research for 2008.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com