Office of Research Development

PI: Roth, Amber (Forest Resources, UMaine) Sector: Ecology, Forestry Partners: UMaine Presque Isle, UMaine Fort Kent, Irving, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Abstract: The Rusty Blackbird is a species of special concern in Maine and is globally threatened, having declined by more than 85% since the 1970s. Rusty Blackbirds nest in stunted or regenerating spruce-fir (softwood) stands in […]

PI: Nelson, Sarah (Forest Resources, UMaine) Sector: Marine Science Partners: US Geological Survey, National Park Service Abstract: Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed contaminant that biomagnifies through food webs and is highly toxic to fish, wildlife, and people, leading to fish consumption advisories in every US state. As a result of its widespread distribution, Hg is a serious concern […]

PI: Nelson, Peter (Biological and Environmental Sciences, UMaine) Sector: Forestry, Information Technology Partners: UMaine Abstract: Our goal is to integrate ground-based spectral scanning/chemical analysis and data mining of hyperspectral images into a pipeline for detection of specific, user-generated targets (e.g. specific plants, pathogens, stress signals, etc..) for Maine’s economically important natural resource sectors and elsewhere for competitive research applications. […]

PI: Nayak, Balunkeswar (Food and Agriculture, UMaine) Sector: Forestry, Advanced Materials Partners: US Forest Service, Twin Rivers Paper Abstract: This application proposes funding request for research-based training of a RRF supported Doctoral student at UMaine. The student will continue engage in research and training in cross-disciplinary areas including food process engineering, cellulose nanocomposites and polymer science. The research component […]

PI: Hejrati, Babak (Mechanical Engineering, UMaine) Sector: Biotechnology, Aging Partners: Eastern Maine Medical Center Abstract: One of the major hand functions necessary for performing activities of daily living (ADL) and having independence in life is object manipulation, which is defined as the ability to grasp, lift, and release an object. The ability to grasp and release can deteriorate due […]

PI: Hayes, Daniel (Forest Resources, UMaine) Sector: Forestry, Computer Science Partners: UMaine Fort Kent Abstract: Maine’s economy depends heavily on its forest resource base: it accounts for over 6% of the total GDP and has an estimated total annual economic impact of $8-10 billion. The sound, scientifically-based management of the forest resource requires a significant investment in inventory programs. […]

PI: Gardner, Allison (Biology and Ecology, UMaine) Sector: Ecology, Climate Change Partners: UMaine Abstract: The goal of our project is to investigate causal ecological and physiological mechanisms by which climate may alter human risk of exposure to tick-borne disease in Maine, and integrate these data with climate change projections for the State of Maine to develop predictive tick-borne disease […]

PI: De Urioste-Stone, Sandra (Forest Resources, UMaine) Sector: Ecology, Biology Partners: Penobscot Nation, University of New Hampshire Abstract: Our proposal develops an interdisciplinary approach to understand whether perceived zoonotic disease risk in key stakeholder groups aligns with realized transmission risk from an iconic wildlife reservoir (moose) in Maine. This study will use a “One Health” model (i.e., “an integrated, […]