News

Artificial intelligence as an equalizer in Maine’s economy

By Heather Johnson, Communications Graduate Assistant Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing technology in the United States and worldwide.Increased use of AI has many implications across different sectors and presents a significant shift in the labor market. A widespread concern, one especially seen in news and media, is the role of AI in changing […]

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Maine EPSCoR logo over yellow and pink sunset

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 […]

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Safety researchers develop systems to make advanced manufacturing in New England safer

A coalition of experts and institutions from across New England have been working for two years to expand the use of intelligent manufacturing. The Northeast Integrated Intelligent Manufacturing Lab (NIIM) was established through a collaborative NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (formerly known as Track-2) Program award in 2022.The NIIM lab, based […]

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Platform at aquaculture site

Establishing Maine as a leader in environmental genetics

Awarded in 2019, the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Maine-eDNA project has reached the conclusion of its NSF funding. The program, which investigated Maine’s coast, inland lakes and the waterways in between, championed environmental DNA (eDNA) as a powerful and cost-effective approach to monitoring an environment as small as a stream to as large as Maine’s […]

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Portrait of Kuppala

Scarborough High School student explores biomedical engineering at UMaine

The MERITS internship program, run by the Maine Space Grant Consortium, connects Maine high school students to research experiences in the state. Vaishnavi Kuppala is one of these students, a rising senior from Scarborough High School who participated in a six week internship program at the University of Maine under Karissa Tilbury, an associate professor […]

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Engaging Maine classrooms with environmental research

By Nathan Deveney, Media Intern This spring, approximately 300 students at Lewiston Middle School participated in field investigations of a local ecosystem. The seventh graders surveyed three vernal pools in the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston, Maine documenting the presence or absence of different indicator species including caddisflies, fairy shrimp and amphibian egg masses. Vernal […]

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UMaine undergraduate students play a key role in developing forestry technology

by Jesse Bifulco, Maine EPSCoR media intern It can be challenging for researchers and tree farmers to get their hands on the precise equipment they need to monitor their ecosystems. A dendrometer, an automated measurement device that wraps around a tree’s trunk, can provide insights into growth and health. These measurements are critical to monitoring […]

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Wooded rocky Maine coastline

Pairing eDNA and visual data to understand biodiversity along Maine’s coast

By Emma Beauregard, Even though the award period of the NSF EPSCoR Track-1 Maine-eDNA project comes to completion on December 31, 2024, the researchers involved remain as busy as ever going through data samples. One of these researchers is Yasmina Shah Esmaeili, a postdoctoral fellow bringing together previously collected data to reveal how kelp forest […]

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NSF Maine Bridge Partner Scientist Statement of Interest

Dear STEM Leaders, My name is Leonard Kenyon, and I am a STEM Education Specialist at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA). I’m reaching out to share an exciting opportunity through the Maine EPSCoR E-CORE RII Program, which aims to enhance research infrastructure and capacity in targeted areas across Maine. The project, Strengthening Maine’s Research Ecosystem […]

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Sam Bengs takes notes in the field

Understanding river herring migration and diet in Maine’s rivers 

Over the past two centuries, river herring (alewife and blueback herring) experienced a decline in their populations due to the construction of dams blocking migration paths. However, the recent removal of dams and construction of fishways and other infrastructure has led to the start of their recovery. As part of the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 […]

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