Tobacco money has a lot of friends.

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund -- an institution charged by the state to distribute the funds from the tobacco settlement -- said today that 75 Washington research programs are bidding for grants.

Applicants include hospitals, universities and research institutions, as well as collaborations between companies and non-profits.

Proposals include vaccines, preventive medicine, surgical robotics and treatments for various diseases, the fund said in a statement.

The LSDF will distribute between $18 million and $20 million among the programs selected.