WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is creating a master list of which embryonic stem cells qualify for taxpayer-funded research, now that President Barack Obama has lifted restrictions on the field.

The National Institutes of Health already had said it will fund only science that uses cells culled from fertility clinic embryos that otherwise would be thrown away, not cells created solely for research.

But final rules issued today settle a big question: Would new ethics requirements disqualify many of the stem cells created during the past decade, even the few funded under the Bush administration's tight limits?

The NIH came up with a compromise, saying it deems those old stem cell lines eligible for government research dollars if scientists can prove they met the spirit of the new ethics standards.

The rules go into effect Tuesday, and list some strict requirements that any newly made stem cells must come with documentation that the woman or couple who donated the original embryo gave full informed consent. For example, they must have been told of other options for leftover embryos, such as donating to another infertile woman, and the donation must have been voluntary.