LOS ANGELES -- A consortium of four San Diego research centers won its bid to host a major stem cell institute Wednesday.

San Diego was chosen as one of seven locations for large stem cell research centers by the committee governing California's $3 billion stem cell program. These facilities will provide scientists with more resources to carry out stem cell research, intended to lead to new treatments for now-incurable diseases.

The Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, which governs the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, awarded $43 million to the San Diego consortium to build the institute.

It was a significant triumph for San Diego County's large community of stem cell researchers. They had lost a bid to become the headquarters of the state program, which went to San Francisco. Now with the construction of a new stem cell center, the local researchers will have room to expand their efforts in stem cells.

The institute will be at UC San Diego, one of the coalition members. The others are The Scripps Research Institute, the Salk Institute and the Burnham Institute.

The consortium had requested $50 million.

The six other winners of grants to build stem cell institutes were Stanford University, the University of Southern California and the University of California campuses at Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

These institutes are the most comprehensive facilities funded by the stem cell program, which was established by Proposition 71, passed by California voters in November, 2005.

Other grants for lesser amounts went to five other institutions for lower-level "centers of excellence" and special programs. A total of $270 million was appropriated by the oversight committee for all the programs.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.