Maine EPSCoR publishes new newsletter highlight programming across the state
Please enjoy this new edition of the Maine EPSCoR newsletter that features highlights and stories from across EPSCoR programs old and new in the state.
Maine is currently home to fourteen active EPSCoR projects. These projects represent nearly $27 million in funding from across the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Since the EPSCoR program’s inception in 1980, Maine has engaged to advance EPSCoR’s mission locally and build research capacity in the state. Maine was the first EPSCoR jurisdiction in the nation to earn two NSF EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) awards and a Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems (E-CORE) award, all part of the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Program. This represents a $22 million investment in Maine over four years with an additional $17 million if the three awards are renewed. These programs connect Maine’s leading institutions in research, education and development from across the state and unite them in the pursuit of improving Maine’s research capacity and national competitiveness.
Maine’s RII E-RISE and E-CORE programs collectively bring together 28 leading research, education, and economic development institutions from across Maine as formal partners.
Read the stories:
From Maine EPSCoR Leadership
As research projects in Maine conclude and new ones begin, the mission of federal EPSCoR programming remains our guiding star: building research capacity to strengthen Maine’s communities, contribute to broader society, and advance the nation as a whole. With the launch of new initiatives—such as E-CORE RII and E-RISE RII from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Maine EPSCoR has embraced change and sought to determine how these opportunities can best be leveraged for local benefit.
In this issue, you will see how EPSCoR programming connects resources with researchers, educators, communities, and stakeholders. Federal EPSCoR funding enables scientists to ask big, consequential questions that shape our shared future, while also empowering educators to prepare the next generation of innovators who will strengthen Maine’s workforce. This programming supports jobs, allowing Mainers to live and work in the communities they cherish. It sustains foresters who steward the vast forests once described by Henry David Thoreau and fishermen who continue to harvest the sweeping coastlines that inspired Winslow Homer. Together, these efforts build a stronger, more prosperous Maine and contribute to a brighter future for the nation and the world.
The stories highlighted in this issue represent only a glimpse of the many EPSCoR activities underway in Maine. We deeply appreciate the time, expertise, and energy that so many individuals contribute to these projects. It is with gratitude and enthusiasm that we share this newsletter with you, and we thank you for your continued support and interest in our work.