Exhibit 10.3

QUIDEL CORPORATION

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

This Restricted Stock Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of January 16, 2009 by and between Quidel Corporation (the “Company”) and Douglas C. Bryant (“Bryant”).

1.             Award.  Pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2001 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), effective as of the date of your commencement of employment with the Company (the “Grant Date”), the Company hereby grants to you 100,000 restricted shares of Company common stock (the “Restricted Shares”).

2.             Restrictions.  The Restricted Shares granted to you on the Grant Date are subject to the limitations that are set forth in this Agreement and in the Plan.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Restricted Shares may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, alienated or encumbered unless and until the relevant restrictions lapse, as provided in Section 3 below.

3.             Lapse of Restrictions on Restricted Shares.  The Restricted Shares remain subject to forfeiture until the restrictions covering the Restricted Shares lapse.  Provided that you remain an employee of the Company, in accordance with and as set forth in the Plan, the restrictions on the Restricted Shares lapse twenty-five percent (25%) annually per year upon the anniversary of the Grant Date.

4.             Payment of Purchase Price.  As consideration for the Restricted Shares, you agree to pay to the Company $1000.00 in cash which is an amount equal to $0.01 per share of the Restricted Shares within seven (7) business days of commence of employment with the Company.

5.             Custody of Shares.  Your rights with respect to the Restricted Shares will be evidenced by this Agreement.  The Restricted Shares subject hereto will be held in book-entry form by the Company and its transfer agent and will be classified as restricted in the book-entry account in your name, until restrictions lapse.  As restrictions lapse on the Restricted Shares, you may either instruct the Company to issue a physical certificate in your name or transfer the vested shares to your designated brokerage account.

6.             Repurchase.  In the event that your employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company will repurchase any remaining Restricted Shares (shares in which the restrictions have not lapsed) following your termination for an amount equal to $0.01 per share, without interest or premium, in accordance with the Plan.

7.             Tax Withholding Obligations.  In general, when restrictions on shares of your Restricted Shares lapse, you recognize ordinary income for federal and state tax purposes in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares at that time over the purchase price.  In this regard, you trigger tax withholding obligations and are required to remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax withholding obligations for payment over to the appropriate taxing authorities.  The Company may, in the exercise of its discretion in accordance with the Plan, allow satisfaction of tax withholding requirements by accepting

delivery of stock of the Company or by withholding a portion of the shares of the Restricted Shares that are otherwise issuable in connection with any lapse of restrictions.

8.             Section 83(b) Election.  You understand that you are entitled to make an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) within thirty (30) days after the Grant Date, or comparable provisions of any state tax law, to include in your gross income the fair market value (as of the date of acquisition) of the Restricted Shares to the extent it exceeds the purchase price paid for the Restricted Shares only if, prior to making any such election, you (a) notify the Company of your intention to make such election, by delivering to the Company a copy of the fully-executed Section 83(b) Election Form attached hereto as Exhibit A, and (b) pay to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy any taxes or other amounts required by any governmental authority to be withheld or paid over to such authority for your account, or otherwise make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the payment of such amounts through withholding or otherwise.  You understand that if you do not make a proper and timely Section 83(b) election, generally under Section 83 of the Code, at the time the forfeiture restrictions applicable to the Restricted Shares lapse, you will recognize ordinary income and be taxed in an amount equal to the fair market value of the Restricted Shares as of the date the forfeiture restrictions lapse.

You acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility, and not the Company’s, to file a timely election under Section 83(b), even if you request that the Company or its representative make this filing on your behalf.  You are relying solely on your advisors with respect to the decision as to whether or not to file a Section 83(b) election.

9.             Miscellaneous.

(a)           Entire Agreement.  This Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated by reference herein, together constitute the entire agreement regarding the Restricted Shares, and supersede all prior written agreements, arrangements, communications and understandings and all prior and contemporaneous oral agreements, arrangements, communications and understandings, between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties and their respective successors and assigns.

(b)           Amendment.  This Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each party hereto.

(c)           No Right to Continued Employment.  The grant of Restricted Shares and this Agreement do not confer upon you any right to continue as an employee of the Company or an affiliate of the Company, nor does it limit in any way the right of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to terminate your services with the Company or any such affiliate at any time, with or without cause.  Unless otherwise set forth in a written agreement binding upon the Company or any affiliate of the Company, your employment by the Company or any affiliate is “at will.”

(d)           No Assignment.  You may not assign this Agreement or any rights granted hereunder.

(e)           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same instrument and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party.  This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signature and a facsimile signature shall constitute an original for all purposes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have entered into this Agreement as of the date first indicated above.

EXHIBIT A

to Restricted Stock Award Agreement

ELECTION TO INCLUDE VALUE OF RESTRICTED PROPERTY
IN GROSS INCOME IN YEAR OF TRANSFER

INTERNAL REVENUE CODE § 83(b)

The undersigned hereby elects pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the property described below, and supplies the following information in accordance with the regulations promulgated thereunder:

This election must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center with which taxpayer files his or her Federal income tax returns and must be made within thirty (30) days after the date of the Grant Date of the Restricted Shares.  This filing should be made by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.  The taxpayer must retain two (2) copies of the completed form for filing with his or her Federal and state tax returns for the current tax year and an additional copy for his or her records.

By her signature below, the spouse of Bryant, if Bryant is legally married as of the date of execution of this Agreement, acknowledges that she has read this Agreement and is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof and agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of said Agreement.

By his signature below, Bryant represents that he is not legally married as of the effective date of this Agreement.