UMaine Highlights - Grants and Contracts: The Return on Investment in University-based Research
Total new dollars (MEIF + all grants) available for R&D expenditures were $75,658,933 in FY09. UMaine used $12,013,784 in MEIF funds to leverage $50,781,609 in external grants and contracts specifically in the State’s seven targeted sectors (see table below).
| Table 2 | |
|---|---|
| MEIF Leveraged New FY09 External R&D Grants and Contracts in the Seven Sectors | Dollars/Sector |
| State Technology Sectors Amount | |
| Forestry and Agriculture | $13,730,001 |
| Aquaculture and Marine Sciences | $9,688,644 |
| Biotechnology | $3,442,507 |
| Composite Materials | $5,368,397 |
| Environmental Technologies | $6,485,164 |
| Information Technologies | $10,518,540 |
| Precision Manufacturing | $186,478 |
| Cross Sectors | $1,361,878 |
| Total Grants/Contracts/Gifts Leveraged | $50,781,609 |
The increase in R&D infrastructure and activity has enhanced UMaine’s capacity to spur industrial growth, with industry contracts for FY09 totaling $3,067,213. UMaine submitted a total of 677 proposals during FY09, involving 394 faculty and professional staff from 55 departments or units as principal investigators or co-investigators. A total of $272.6 million was requested from external sponsors, up from $217 million in the previous year. UMaine faculty and staff produced more than 3,500 publications in FY09, including papers, books, book chapters, and technical reports.
Positions Leveraged
In FY09, 448 job positions at UMaine were created and/or supported as a result of MEIF funds and external grants and contracts. This includes positions directly supported by MEIF funds, and people paid through R&D grants and contracts leveraged from the MEIF funds.
Facilities and Equipment
UMaine continues to expand and develop state-of-the-art research facilities to support the targeted technologies.
- More than $2.2 million in new equipment was procured in FY09 to support UMaine R&D activity. Major purchases (greater than $50,000) through various FY09 grants included more than 20 pieces of scientific equipment. This equipment outfits labs throughout the university.
- Planning, designing, and construction began on numerous facilities that were subjects of proposals to the R&D bond competition.
Increased Student Involvement in Research
Undergraduate and graduate students continue to play a major role in the MEIF research programs at UMaine. While graduate research assistants typically are funded (salaries and tuition) on external grants and contracts, an increasing number of undergraduates also are being paid to work in labs on grant-funded projects.
