In addition to other powers and duties prescribed in this chapter, the authority is empowered to:

(1) Use public moneys in the life sciences discovery fund, leveraging those moneys with amounts received from other public and private sources in accordance with contribution agreements, to promote life sciences research;

(2) Solicit and receive gifts, grants, and bequests, and enter into contribution agreements with private entities and public entities other than the state to receive moneys in consideration of the authority's promise to leverage those moneys with amounts received through appropriations from the legislature and contributions from other public entities and private entities, in order to use those moneys to promote life sciences research. Nonstate moneys received by the authority for this purpose shall be deposited in the life sciences discovery fund created in RCW 43.350.070;

(3) Hold funds received by the authority in trust for their use pursuant to this chapter to promote life sciences research;

(4) Manage its funds, obligations, and investments as necessary and as consistent with its purpose including the segregation of revenues into separate funds and accounts;

(5) Make grants to entities pursuant to contract for the promotion of life sciences research to be conducted in the state. Grant agreements must specify deliverables to be provided by the recipient pursuant to the grant. The authority shall solicit requests for funding and evaluate the requests by reference to factors such as: (a) The quality of the proposed research; (b) its potential to improve health outcomes, with particular attention to the likelihood that it will also lower health care costs, substitute for a more costly diagnostic or treatment modality, or offer a breakthrough treatment for a particular disease or condition; (c) its potential for leveraging additional funding; (d) its potential to provide health care benefits or benefit human learning and development; (e) its potential to stimulate the health care delivery, biomedical manufacturing, and life sciences related employment in the state; (f) the geographic diversity of the grantees within Washington; (g) evidence of potential royalty income and contractual means to recapture such income for purposes of this chapter; and (h) evidence of public and private collaboration;

(6) Create one or more advisory boards composed of scientists, industrialists, and others familiar with life sciences research;

(7) Review and approve or disapprove marijuana research license applications under RCW 69.50.372;

(8) Review any reports made by marijuana research licensees under state liquor and cannabis board rule and provide the state liquor and cannabis board with its determination on whether the research project continues to meet research qualifications under RCW 69.50.372(1); and

(9) Adopt policies and procedures to facilitate the orderly process of grant application, review, and reward.

[2015 2nd sp.s. c 4 § 1503; 2015 c 71 § 3; 2005 c 424 § 4.]

NOTES: