For Maine’s visionaries, students and early adopters, record investment generates opportunities
Amid a dynamic funding landscape, the University of Maine concluded its 2025 fiscal year on June 30 with record productivity for the sixth consecutive year, powering expanded opportunities for students, researchers and partners statewide.
Total research and development expenditures reached $297.6 million, up 19% from last year. External research and development funding received reached $243.6 million, up 8% from 2024. The all-time highs mark a 276% increase in expenditures and a 384% rise in funding dedicated to research and development over the past 10 years.
UMaine’s fiscal year 2025 (FY25) totals — the highest in its history — reflect awards from federal agencies, state partners and industry collaborators. The surge in support reflects UMaine’s strong national reputation and longstanding leadership in delivering innovations that strengthen the economy and support healthier, more resilient communities.
“This milestone demonstrates our capacity to advance knowledge and innovation that creates value for Maine communities and beyond,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who is also the vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System (UMS).
“We are grateful to our partners and the people of Maine and the nation for the support entrusted to us to advance this work, as well as the faculty, staff and students whose outstanding work made this possible.”
How Mainers leverage public research investment
Research funding helps modernize and maintain research labs and expertise at UMaine, the state’s only institution to have achieved R1 Carnegie Classification for research excellence and productivity. Whether they want to develop new snacks or safer building materials that create new markets for the state’s forest sector, Maine businesses tap into this innovation infrastructure to develop their own ideas.
Nick King, general manager at SalmoGen Company, Inc. in Portland, says UMaine’s specialized facilities and expertise are helping the company significantly accelerate its timeline to market.
“These fish are the foundation of our breeding program and essential to the future of our company. Housing them at the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, under the care of their expert staff, enables us to rapidly scale up our biological assets while our own Maine facility is designed and constructed,” said King.
“This partnership accelerates our timeline to market by four years, meaning that we expect to begin operations and hiring much sooner, bringing new employment opportunities and economic benefits to the local community.”
Research builds careers
Research productivity also fuels opportunities for students at Maine’s learner-centered R1 research university. Last year, more than one-quarter of undergraduate students at UMaine helped advance research. These hands-on experiences help students, like Hannah Maker, develop problem-solving skills that prepare them for in-demand careers.
Maker, a senior nursing student from Machiasport, is working with UMaine School of Nursing faculty through a research partnership with the nonprofit Community Caring Collaborative to design and evaluate a care framework that centers dignity for adults 55 and older in Washington County. The Downeast Population Health Initiative builds on the Collaborative’s existing digital resource platform to address distress linked to unmet needs such as housing, food, transportation, caregiving and social connection.
“Growing up in Washington County and serving as an EMT with the Machias Ambulance Service has given me a firsthand understanding of the challenges older adults face, and I’m grateful to be part of research that’s creating real solutions close to home,” Maker said.
“Being part of this project has shown me that nursing is not just about treating disease, but caring for the whole person — recognizing how community conditions shape health, since research shows social and environmental factors account for 80% of health outcomes.”
Sustained growth drives innovation
“These achievements reflect the collective talent and creativity of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Giovanna Guidoboni, UMaine’s interim vice president for research. “As Maine’s only R1 university, our greatest strength is our ability to connect people and ideas across disciplines to drive innovation and address challenges that matter to Maine and the world.”
UMaine and UMS leaders emphasize, however, that these numbers tell only part of the story.
“We’re most proud of the way these investments generate data and solutions to make life better with a strong economy, vibrant communities and a steady supply of workforce-ready graduates,” Ferrini-Mundy said.
As federal research budgets face increasing pressure and respond to shifting priorities, UMaine and the UMS continue to work closely with Maine’s Congressional Delegation, federal and state agencies, professional associations, and other partners to sustain this momentum and ensure that Maine remains a source of solutions for the nation.
Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu