Research Resources

Introduction to UMaine’s Graduate Research

The discovery, synthesis, and dissemination of knowledge are the goals of graduate level study. The University provides varied sources of organized research and learning opportunities through which students are introduced to the concepts of independent thinking in order to reach these goals.

Research expenditures in 2020 totaled an all-time high of $165.1 million for sponsored research, teaching and public service activities of faculty. These activities include research in areas as diverse as Forestry and the Environment, Marine Sciences, STEM Education, Climate Change, Advanced Materials for Infrastructure and Energy, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Science and Engineering, Data Science and Engineering, Nanotechnology, Sensor Systems, Sustainability Solutions and Technologies, Aging Research, Finance Education, Northeastern Americas Humanities Research and Education. 

The University of Maine is the state’s public research university. Classified as a High Research Activity Institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, UMaine consistently ranks among the top 20 percent of universities engaged in research.

UMaine Research Website: https://umaine.edu/research/

Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Institutes

Advanced Structures and Composites Center

Focus: The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) is an interdisciplinary center for research, education, and economic development, encompassing material sciences, manufacturing, and the engineering of composites and structures. A University of Maine signature research area for Advanced Materials for Infrastructure and Energy, the UMaine Composites Center focuses on developing next-generation solutions that capitalize on Maine’s vast natural resources to address the most pressing infrastructure and energy-related challenges.

Facilities: The Center is housed in a 100,000 ft2 ISO 17025-accredited testing facility with fully equipped, integrated laboratories to develop and test durable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant material solutions for a wide variety of industries.

Website: composites.umaine.edu/

Advanced Manufacturing Center

Focus: The Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) is an applied manufacturing research facility that works directly with public and private sector clients to advance manufacturing technologies in the state of Maine.

Facilities: The AMC’s 30,000 ft2 facility is home to a host of CNC machines, additive metal manufacturing capabilities, and a full suite of materials testing equipment.

Website: umaine.edu/amc/

Aquaculture Research Institute

Focus: The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) brings together researchers and faculty from multiple disciplines at UMaine, key industry partners, and applied R&D opportunities, to enable innovation within UMaine’s aquaculture research.

Facilities: The Institute includes some of the nation’s most state-of-the-art aquaculture facilities. ARI is part of the UMaine MARINE initiative.

Website: umaine.edu/aquaculture/

Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

Focus: The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) works closely with people with disabilities, families, state and local government agencies, community providers and others on projects providing training, technical assistance, service, research, and information sharing.

Facilities: The Center is Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). There are currently 67 UCEDDs; at least one in every U.S. state and territory.

Website: ccids.umaine.edu/

Center for Research on Sustainable Forests

Focus: The Center for Research on Sustainable Forests (CRSF) is currently developing, integrating, and applying emerging geospatial technologies and informatics methods to address current and future issues to support the sustainable management of the region’s natural resources.

Facilities: The Center works in forests throughout Maine and developed several interactive databases and tools including the Maine Forest Dashboard. It runs initiatives like the Forest Climate Change Initiative and Spruce Budworm Taskforce.

Website: crsf.umaine.edu/

Center for Undergraduate Research

Focus: The Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has facilitated faculty-mentored research and creative activities for undergraduate students across all academic disciplines since its inception in 2008.

Facilities: The center is located in the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC) and coordinates the annual Student Symposium, which provides an opportunity for the public to interact one-on-one with UMaine students as they present their research and creative work.

Website: cugr.umaine.edu/

Center on Aging

Focus: The Center on Aging promotes and facilitates activities on aging in the areas of education, research and evaluation, and community service to maximize the quality of life of older citizens and their families in Maine and beyond.

Facilities: The Center’s central offices are located on the University of Maine at Augusta campus in Bangor. The center runs several statewide programs; the Senior and Retired Volunteer Program, the Senior Companion Program, Encore Leadership Core, and more.

Website: mainecenteronaging.umaine.edu/

Climate Change Institute

Focus: The Climate Change Institute (CCI) is a global leader in interdisciplinary climate change research, conducts climate change research expeditions throughout the world, and both produces and shares software that allows researchers and the public to understand climate change.

Facilities: The Institute supports expeditions and holds the Borns Symposium annually featuring presentations and discussion by Climate Change Institute graduate students and faculty on emerging research and topics related to global environmental change. The institute has a wide array of research laboratories and facilities to support its research.

Website: climatechange.umaine.edu/

Forest Bioproducts Research Institute

Focus: The Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) advances the understanding of the scientific underpinnings, system behavior and policy implications for the production of forest-based bioproducts as well as to provide and promote technology validation and partnerships that will meet societal needs for materials, chemicals and fuels in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner.

Facilities: The Institute includes the Process Development Center (PDC), a fee-for-service facility on campus devoted to pulp and paper research and development, a nanocellulose production facility, and a pilot paper machine that can be used to explore applications of nanocellulose in papermaking. It also includes the Technology Research Center (TRC), in Old Town, Maine, a commercial-scale facility dedicated to advancing developing fuel, chemical and advanced material technologies from forest bioproducts.

Website: forestbioproducts.umaine.edu/

Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies

Focus: The Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies (FIRST) has been active in carrying out research, teaching, and outreach activities in the broad area of surfaces and interfaces, thin films, microelectronic devices, sensor technology, and nanotechnology. A wide variety of on-going activities span the range from fundamental research to applied development to technology transfer.

Facilities: FIRST has an impressive array of instrumentation to synthesize and investigate materials properties at the atomic scale and up to macroscopic dimensions, as well as to fabricate and test a variety of micro/nano electronic devices and micro/nano systems.

Website: umaine.edu/first/

Innovative Media, Research and Commercialization Center

Focus: The Innovative Media Research and Commercialization (IMRC) Center is an interdisciplinary research and experiential learning facility that supports the creative and innovative intersection of arts and humanities, sciences, and technology.

Facilities: The Center provides research and prototyping laboratories, maker spaces, audiovisual production spaces, performance spaces, and classrooms, each designed and staffed to welcome, support, and engage all learners.

Website: imrccenter.umaine.edu/

Maine Center for Research in STEM Education

Focus: The Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center) is an interdisciplinary center organized to conduct research, graduate education, professional development, and to build community partnerships focused on improving the research and research-based practice of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels of instruction.

Facilities: Members of the RiSE Center engage in education research across multiple STEM departments and the College of Education at the University of Maine. The RiSE Center provides education and professional development for emerging educators through undergraduate and graduate opportunities, including teaching and research assistantships, a Master of Science in Teaching degree with a teacher certification option, and an interdisciplinary STEM Education PhD program. 

Website: umaine.edu/risecenter/

Maine Sea Grant

Focus: The University of Maine is one of 34 NOAA Sea Grant programs operating throughout the coastal and Great Lakes states, and it is a federal-state partnership that supports research, outreach and education.

Facilities: Maine Sea Grant and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension partner to form the Marine Extension Team, which works on issues of concern to Maine’s coastal communities. It sponsors scientific research that matters to those who depend on Maine’s coastal and marine resources and develops tomorrow’s marine workforce through formal and informal education programs, fellowships and scholarships.

Website: seagrant.umaine.edu/

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

Focus: The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center has engaged in applied public policy research and community engagement with the goal of improving the quality of public discourse grounded in civility and a willingness to engage respectfully across political, social, and cultural differences. The MCS Policy Center’s dedication to this nonpartisan mission advances relationships among policymakers, community leaders, and the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Maine System.

Facilities: The Center is based on the Orono campus and provides student fellowships. The Margaret Chase Smith Library is located in Skowhegan, Maine. The Center publishes the Maine Policy Review, a timely, independent, peer-reviewed analysis of public policy issues relevant to the state of Maine.

Website: mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/

Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Focus: The Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions is widely recognized for stakeholder-engaged, solutions-driven, interdisciplinary research to improve human well-being while protecting the environment. In collaboration with diverse stakeholders, the Mitchell Center links knowledge with action to create a brighter economic, social and environmental future in and beyond Maine.

Facilities: The Center provides toolkits and support for sustainable solutions. For more than a decade, the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions has been building its capacity for stakeholder-engaged, solutions-driven research that helps solve pressing problems, working with municipal officials, state legislators, farmers, tribal communities, and the waste management industry.

Website: umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/

Maine Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

Focus: The Maine Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) develops partnerships between the state’s higher education institutions, industry, government and others to effect lasting improvements in their R&D infrastructure, capacity and national competitiveness.

Facilities: Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine oversees and implements the state’s NSF EPSCoR programs.

Website: umaine.edu/epscor/

UMaine Institute of Medicine

Focus: The UMaine Institute of Medicine is a transformative and coordinated community of collaborating researchers and educators that in partnership with health care providers and other stakeholders are dedicated to the advancement of human health and wellbeing in the state of Maine and beyond, through discovery and learning in health and life sciences, from basic and translational research, to clinical practices and healthcare workforce development.

Facilities: The Institute provides seminars and works with healthcare organizations around the state to collaborate and innovate.

Website: https://umaine.edu/medicine/

Research Initiatives

Experiential Programs Innovation Central (EPIC) 

Focus: Cutting-edge student-centered undergraduate education is the key focal point of the University of Maine Experiential Programs Innovation Central - UMaine EPIC.  UMaine is the home to more than 9000 undergraduate students who are able to choose from 100 undergraduate majors and academic programs. With EPIC they have the opportunity to gain in-depth learning and invaluable skills through high impact experiential learning programs that have been closely integrated and coordinated for maximum educational impact.

Website: https://umaine.edu/epic/

Maine Center for Genetics in the Environment

Focus: The Maine Center for Genetics in the Environment aims to energize Maine’s environmental genetics research community by promoting effective collaborations and new partnerships for transdisciplinary research, innovation and training.

Website: https://umaine.edu/mcge/

UMaine AI

Focus: The University of Maine Artificial Intelligence Initiative (UMaine AI) is a unique Maine-based venture that brings together university, industry, government, and community collaborators from Maine and beyond to advance the field of artificial intelligence, and through development of innovative technologies and applications find transformative solutions to enhance human life and societal well-being in Maine and beyond.

Website: https://ai.umaine.edu/

UMaine Arctic

Focus: UMaine Arctic develops and strengthens partnerships with other institutions and individuals in the region, participating in the New England Arctic Network, which operates as a regional hub for institutions in New England and have been members of the University of the Arctic (UArctic), a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North.

Website: https://umaine.edu/arctic/

Portland Gateway

Focus: The Portland Gateway provides a one-stop connection and point of access to the vast array of innovative research, education and outreach resources, programs and services at the state’s research university in Orono and its facilities statewide. The Portland Gateway offers opportunities for tailored partnerships to advance specific business or corporate needs, outreach and community engagement opportunities, and professional careers in connection with the UMaine Research enterprise.

Website: https://maine.edu/portland

Managing Offices & Services

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School (OVPRGS) supports research and graduate study programs by providing services, oversight and resources. It is responsible for developing policies for research and related activities. It provides administrative oversight for 17 research centers and institutes; the Office of Research Administration; the Office of Research Compliance; the Office of Research Development; UMaine Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE); Advanced Research Computing (ARC); Research Initiatives; and the Graduate School. The Vice President for Research is the university-designated Scientific Misconduct Officer and monitors financial conflicts of interest in externally-funded research.

The Office of Research Administration

The Office of Research Administration has broad responsibilities for fostering and encouraging research and other scholarly activities throughout the campus. The office provides support services to faculty and staff seeking extramural funding for research, teaching, or public service projects, and to those who direct extramurally funded projects. On behalf of the University, the office oversees the submission of proposals and shares with the Principal Investigator or Project Director responsible for the management of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

The Office of Research Compliance

The Office of Research Compliance’s mission is to promote a culture of ethics, integrity, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies governing research.  The office provides comprehensive regulatory guidance to the UMaine research community regarding specific components of research compliance, including protection of human subjects, humane care and use of animals, use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules or infectious agents, financial conflict of interest, responsible conduct of research, and export control regulations. 

The Office of Research Development

The Office of Research Development aims to enhance grant-seeking activities and facilitate internal and external collaborations to promote a culture of research excellence and extramural funding success.  They are a resource to faculty and researchers who wish to increase their success in grant writing.  The office also oversees the management and administration of internal grant programs and assists in the implementation of strategic initiatives.

The Coordinated Operating Research Entities

The Coordinated Operating Research Entities (CORE) office oversees the management of major research equipment and facilities at the University of Maine.   The mission of CORE is to serve as UMaine’s central repository for major research equipment and facilities, and to enable researchers and industrial partners from around the State to have easy access to state-of-the-art technology and services for their scientific research and scholarly activity.  CORE research services are delivered by experts on a fee-for-service basis to enable, facilitate and enhance the research mission of UMaine.

Additional Research Resources

The Department of Industrial Cooperation. ORED’s Department of Industrial Cooperation (DIC) arranges all fee-for-service work and industry-sponsored collaborative research, matching companies with the appropriate UMaine expertise and facilities.  DIC helps UMaine achieve its goals of research and public service, while avoiding conflicts of interest with the private sector and ensuring that the university is compensated for private use of its state-supported resources.

The Office of Innovation and Economic Development. (OIED)  helps support new and existing businesses by linking them with industry experts; facilitating commercialization activities, such as new innovations developed at UMaine; and transferring university research and development into marketable products and services. Their work helps innovation across Maine grow, creates future innovators and new jobs, and enhances the state economy. The office is also a responsive liaison, facilitating the relationship between the University of Maine at large and elected officials.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s community presence creates unparalleled opportunities for innovative work-study, internships and assistantships for students. UMaine Extension supports the university’s public education and service role by delivering research-based outreach programs in every county in the state. Based in Orono, county offices across the state, and five farms of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Research Station, UMaine Extension includes almost 200 staff and thousands of volunteers who provide community-based education, with a focus on the Maine food system and 4-H, the most successful out-of-school youth development program in Maine.

UMaine Extension is part of a nationwide system, supported by a three-way partnership among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the land grant colleges and universities, and county governments. It conveys community issues, needs and opportunities to inform University of Maine research and development. UMaine Extension’s reach is amplified via partnerships with Maine Sea Grant, the Maine Food and Agricultural Center, and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

UMaine Extension engages young people in a variety of roles. Students have achieved success and helped UMaine Extension move forward in such diverse areas as communications; Native American awareness and connections; and Maine 4-H Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program development while working collaboratively with faculty and developing partnerships with community groups. In addition, UMaine Extension has had students work in personnel management, publications, IT support and new media development.

More information is available on our website, (extension.umaine.edu) or by contacting UMaine Extension at extension@maine.edu; 207.581.3188.

University Resources

Raymond H. Fogler Library

Fogler Library is Maine’s largest library, is essential to education, research, and public service at the University of Maine and beyond. The library offers millions of print and physical items in addition to more than 1.5 million e-books, 155,000 online journals, 350 research databases, and 240,000 digital media items. Through Fogler Library, UMaine patrons can borrow print and digital materials from libraries throughout the state and around the world.

The library’s staff serve as information experts who help patrons discover, use, and expand knowledge. The Reference and Information Literacy Department is a central location for research support on campus. Each academic program has a subject librarian who can provide individual consultations, classroom instruction, and subject-matter expertise across the different areas of study at UMaine. The department provides research support in-person and online via email, live chat, and Zoom (https://library.umaine.edu/ask-a-librarian/).

Fogler Library’s Special Collections Department maintains an extensive collection of published bibliographical, historical, and descriptive works on Maine, as well as literary titles by Maine authors. These documents provide extensive insights into Maine cities, towns, counties, people, and institutions. The department also houses rare books and University of Maine publications and records. Special Collections staff support the research pursuits of students, faculty, and scholars at UMaine and around the world.

Fogler Library is also a regional depository for federal government publications; an official depository for Canadian federal and Maine state government publications; the designated State Research Library for Business, Science, and Technology; and the only Patent and Trademark Resource Center in Maine.

Access library resources, services, expertise, collections, and general information at https://library.umaine.edu. The general telephone number for the library is 207.581.1666.

Information Technology

The University of Maine System’s Department of Information Technology (US:IT) is committed to providing and supporting the highest quality technology-based services for UMaine faculty, staff, and students. As the University’s central technology support organization, US:IT strives to perform in the timeliest and most cost-effective manner. US:IT supports the University’s land-grant and sea-grant mission of creating and disseminating knowledge to improve the lives of its students and Maine citizens through teaching, basic and applied research, and public service activities. US:IT is also responsible for coordinating technology services provided to The University of Maine campus by the University of Maine System. US: IT’s UMaine main office is located at 220 Alumni Hall.

Locations & Services:

IT Support Services Center (Fogler Library - Room 130, telephone 207.581.2506)

• Telephone, walk-in, and email assistance for UMS accounts (Google apps, MaineStreet, networking/wireless access, Brightspace, OneDrive, etc.), software applications, and all operating systems.
• Resource for the detection and removal of computer viruses and malware and data backup assistance.
• For more information or to request support call 207.581.2506. You can also visit our website at https://www.umaine.edu/it.

Public IT Computer Clusters

• Computer clusters are available on the 1st Floor of the Memorial Union, Room 144 (adjacent to Hackerspace) and at the Fogler Library Information Commons. Both PC and Mac devices are provided in these locations.
• Available software includes Microsoft Office Professional suite, UMaine licensed applications used to support classwork such as ArcGIS, JMP, SAS, SPSS, Mathematica, MatLab, ChemDraw, Adobe Creative Cloud.

Printing

• Every student receives $16.00 in print funds applied to their MaineCard each semester to use for printing via US:IT-supported printers.
• Print locations: Graduate School Print Station in Stodder Hall and IT Print From Anywhere release stations located in Fogler Library, Memorial Union Computer Cluster, Union Central (Memorial Union), York Dining Hall, and Hilltop Dining Hall.
• Visit the UMaine IT website at https://umaine.edu/it/resources/wireless-printing/ for instructions on printing from a personal device, UMS email, or via a mobile device.

Media Services (Shibles Hall - Room 19, telephone 207.581.2500)

• Classroom technology equipment support including audio and video equipment assistance.
• Video and web conferencing support for classes and meetings.
• Equipment-On-Loan at Fogler Library, Circulation Desk
  • To reserve Audio Visual equipment, call the Fogler Library Circulation Desk at 207.581.1641.
  • A valid MaineCard is required to sign-out AV Equipment.
• To reserve a video conferencing room, call 207.581.1610.
• For additional information or to request support call 207.581.2500.

The College of Education and Human Development is setting a course through research, service and innovation. Alumni are leading in classrooms, schools and school districts throughout Maine, across the country and around the globe. They’re changing lives as teachers, administrators, nonprofit and community leaders, and as student support professionals on college and university campuses. The athletic training and exercise science graduates are setting a course for professional, college and high school athletes, as well as creating lifelong wellness and personal fitness enthusiasts. Human development professionals are changing the world through intervention programs, advocacy, and social and community services. https://umaine.edu/edhd/

The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s programs advance society’s understanding of the natural world and the health of its citizens and communities. Our faculty, whose research spans both the health and natural sciences, represent the largest assemblage of scientific expertise in Maine. The College’s extensive teaching and research facilities host some of the most sophisticated research equipment available and are spread throughout Maine to take advantage of the state’s diverse opportunities for discovery. From Maine’s rural hospitals and forests, to the depths of the Gulf of Maine and glaciers of Antarctica, our faculty and graduate students conduct science that transforms lives and informs decisions that will create a bright future for our world. www.nsfa.umaine.edu
 

The College of Engineering.  As Maine’s leading engineering program, the college prepares an educated workforce, conducts research that turns knowledge into innovative solutions, and provides outreach that includes STEM initiatives.  The mission of the College of Engineering at the University of Maine is to produce the graduates and new technologies needed to move Maine’s economy forward. As a UMaine signature area, the College continues to play a vital role in our state and beyond and is a key element in assisting several other signature areas.  The College of Engineering at the University of Maine is Maine’s only educational institution to offer 11 ABET accredited engineering and engineering technology degree programs. Our reputation is known world-wide, our facilities are world-class, and our research contributes significantly to scientific discoveries and economic development in Maine and beyond. Innovating engineering excellence since 1865. https://engineering.umaine.edu/

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the heart of the University of Maine, contributing to the education of every undergraduate student on the Orono campus. Courses in our college provide the foundation in critical reasoning, communication skills and core knowledge needed to thrive in an ever changing, globalized world. With the diversity of a large institution and the friendly atmosphere of a small liberal arts college, UMaine’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors in the humanities, fine and performing arts, social sciences and sciences. Scholars and creative artists work closely with undergraduate and graduate students in first rate facilities to advance understanding and appreciation of the human experience, the natural world, and the arts. Our goal is to ignite intellectual curiosity, to develop skills needed to pursue answers, and to cultivate creativity to pose the next generation of questions. It’s learning that lasts a lifetime.  https://umaine.edu/las/

The School of Forest Resources, in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, offers graduate study leading to a non-thesis Master of Forestry, a Master of Science in Forest Resources and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources. Maine, the most heavily forested state in the United States, sets the context for SFR research, though projects reach beyond state and national boundaries. Much of the research in the SFR is field oriented, and there are a variety of ecosystems and socioeconomic conditions available for investigation. The NSFA College is responsible for the management of the Dwight B. Demeritt Forest, a 1,700-acre tract adjoining the campus, the 4,000-acre Penobscot Experimental Forest, and nearly 4,000 acres of other forest properties in Maine. In addition, Maine contains millions of acres of forestland that are under diverse management by large ownerships, forest industries, small ownership parcels, state and federal forests, and Acadia National Park. Through the cooperation of these diverse landowners, opportunities exist for silvicultural, on-site wood processing, and ecological studies. Maine’s systems of land use regulation and forest taxation and the state’s long-standing reputation as a “vacationland” for forest recreation provide other categories of potential research interest.

The Barbara Wheatland Geospatial Analysis Laboratory provides a center of excellence for geospatial analysis in student and faculty research, along with state-of-the-art resources for university education and professional development. The Lab houses computer workstations equipped with high-end image processing and GIS software, and research leverages a data acquisition and image analysis program using manned and unmanned aircraft. The program supports numerous basic and applied research projects with the primary focus on exploring innovative ways to leverage remote sensing and geospatial technology for forest and natural resource management, environmental monitoring and conservation, forest ecosystem science and climate change research.

The Forest Resources graduate study opportunities are strengthened by association with strong research programs within the SFR College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, elsewhere on the Orono campus, and in the region.

The Center for Research on Sustainable Forests (CRSF) was founded in 2006 to build on a history of leading forest research and to enhance our understanding of Maine’s forest resources in an increasingly complex world. Forest research and its application are rapidly evolving due to unprecedented availability of data provided by emerging technologies such as high-resolution digital imagery and GPS. CRSF seeks to lead the development, integration, and application of these emerging technologies to address current and future issues in natural resources. Its mission is to conduct and promote leading interdisciplinary research on issues affecting the management and sustainability of northern forest ecosystems and Maine’s forest-based economy. CFSF scientists study a variety of areas, including forest-based research, nature-based tourism, and climate change. CRSF organizes and hosts several workshops, conferences and other events each year as a means to communicate directly with stakeholders, research partners and the public.

The Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU) is a stakeholder-driven research cooperative and is a core research program of CRSF at UM. It includes 33 member organizations representing over 8 million acres of Maine’s forest (half of all forestland in the state). CFRU Cooperators include Maine forest landowners, wood processors, conservation organizations, and others that support the mission and objectives of the CFRU. The CFRU is funded by voluntary financial and in-kind contributions from its members to The University of Maine. For 40 years, CFRU has shaped the evolution of forest practices in the state and advanced the principles of sustainable forest management. Current CFRU research focuses on silviculture, forest productivity, forest modeling, and wildlife habitat issues related to the management of Maine’s commercial forestlands. Closely related to CFRU is the Maine Adaptive Silviculture Network (MASN), a statewide series of operational-scale silvicultural treatments where future research on forest productivity and sustainability will be studied. Currently, there are 4 MASN sites established throughout Maine and plans to increase it to 12 sites by 2020.

The Center for Advanced Forestry Systems (CAFS) is a National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). CAFS is one of the larger IUCRCs within NSF as it has 8 universities sites and over 150 members throughout the entire US. UM has been a CAFS site since 2008, and the lead center since 2017. CAFS submitted a proposal for Phase III funding in December of 2018 with a primary priority being the creation a national research agenda that will benefit the forest industry, recruiting non-profit members such as private foundations, and ensuring sustainability for the membership-based program after NSF funding ends. CAFS, like CFRU, brings important industry linkages.

Graduate students studying in the area of wood science & technology and bioproducts have access to world class equipment and researchers through strong ties to two research units on campus. The Advanced Structures and Composites Center (https://composites.umaine.edu/) houses a 100,000 ft^2 state of the art facility for materials and wood/composites engineering research. The Forest Bioproducts Research Institute’s (www.forestbioproducts.umaine.edu) mission is to advance understanding of the scientific underpinnings, system behavior and policy implications for the production of forest-based bioproducts.

Within SFR, the Laboratory of Renewable Nanomaterials (LRN) focuses on alternative applications of cellulose nanomaterials aimed at large volume production and end uses.  Established in 2013, the LRN is well equipped for the production and characterization of advanced bio-composites and bioproducts. The Bio-energy Laboratory focuses on advanced technologies to improve the energy efficiency of energy-intensive wood industry and timber-based building sector, innovative carbon-neutral bioproducts, such as engineered wood products and mass timber panel products, numerical analysis of hydrothermal behavior of wood and engineered wood products; and utilization of sustainable and renewable biomass as bioenergy resources.

A federally funded Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program carries on long-term research on the nearby Penobscot Experimental Forest. The USDA Forest Service research program in Orono (a branch of the Northern Forest Experiment Station) employs scientists who hold appointments among the College’s graduate faculty. A scientist from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is also stationed at UMaine facilitating scientific and research interactions with FPL scientists. Cooperative relationships also are common between the School of Forest Resources and several other University of Maine departments.

The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

For more than 135 years, the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station has undertaken research for Maine and its people. Originally devoted to research for Maine’s farm community, the Experiment Station is now Maine’s most important center for research in agriculture, nutrition and food science, forestry and wood products, marine fisheries and aquaculture, freshwater fisheries, wildlife, rural economic development, and tourism. The Experiment Station maintains its offices and principal research laboratories in Orono. Additional research facilities include Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro, J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center in Old Town and Stillwater, the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden and the Roger Clapp Greenhouses in Orono, and the Dwight B. Demeritt Forest in Old Town and Orono. The off-campus facilities of the Experiment Station provide an essential platform for applied field research that is integrated with research at campus laboratories. Many students carry out Experiment Station research as part of their graduate program.

The Experiment Station’s research programs improve the quality of life for Maine people by enhancing the profitability and sustainability of Maine’s natural-resource-based industries and by protecting Maine’s environment and the health of its citizens. Station scientists use cutting-edge tools to address current challenges for Maine’s natural resource-based industry and provide the new knowledge that fuels innovation. Discoveries are translated into new production methods, new pest-management and disease treatments, new value-added products, and new programs to improve the nutrition of Maine citizens.  http://umaine.edu/mafes/

Many College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture graduate students receive a significant portion of their funding from the Experiment Station.   Some students conduct a portion or all of their data collection at the Experiment Station facilities off-campus, as well as at other areas of the state. See the College Research Map to view a sampling of research projects - https://nsfa.umaine.edu/research/research-map/ .

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The Pulp and Paper Foundation.  Supported by private funding from more than 60 companies located in over 40 states as well as several hundred individual donations and endowment gifts annually, the $31 million foundation encourages a strong teaching and research program in Chemical Engineering, with a significant undergraduate scholarship program available to qualified students throughout the College of Engineering and the School of Engineering Technology.

The School of Marine Sciences (SMS) is a large unit of the University residing in the College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture. SMS is the focal home of both graduate and undergraduate academic programs, research, and public service activities related to scientific policy and resource topics of marine and coastal zone environments. At present, approximately 48 faculty are affiliated with SMS including full-time, part-time, and cooperating appointments. SMS, by its very nature, is an interdisciplinary unit dedicated to research, education and public service. Current areas of expertise and research include oceanography, aquaculture, marine biology, marine geology, seafloor ecology, fish and fisheries biology, fish pathology, seaweed biology, marine resource development and policy, and ocean engineering.

The School of Marine Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography, M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine Biology, M.S. in Marine Policy and Masters in Professional Sciences. An M.S. in Aquaculture may be developed in the near future.

Faculty of SMS provide leadership in research programs with emphasis on the Gulf of Maine, its related coastal zone, and in other cold-water and global systems. SMS faculty are headquartered at both the University’s Orono campus and its coastal marine laboratory campus, the Ira C. Darling Center (see below).

The School also develops and maintains relationships with other marine research institutions within the region. Examples include Maine Maritime Academy, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bigelow Laboratory, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the Maine Geological Survey.
 

The Darling Marine Center (DMC), the University’s marine laboratory, is located on the Damariscotta River estuary, approximately 100 miles south of the Orono campus in mid-coast Maine.  Approximately 50 faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and support staff are in residence at the DMC and conduct research encompassing the disciplines of aquaculture and marine fisheries; biogeochemistry and microbial ecology; remote sensing, phytoplankton ecology, and ocean optics; invertebrate biology and biodiversity; marine archaeology; and marine conservation science and policy. A variety of unique field-oriented undergraduate and graduate courses are offered annually at the DMC including: Semester By the Sea, Summer University, and specialized Ph.D. and professional-level training workshops in biology and the marine and environmental sciences.  The DMC is a full service marine field station with two flowing seawater laboratories equipped with ambient, heated, and chilled seawater for the culture of marine organisms. The laboratories have resident and visitor lab spaces, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and teaching classrooms. A small boat fleet (19’ to 42’) enables researchers to access a wide variety of near and offshore marine and estuarine habitats. Also available are oceanographic sampling gear, SCUBA support, and a marine library, as well as housing, meal service and meeting space for scientific and educational conferences. More information is available at https://dmc.umaine.edu/
 

The Lobster Institute, a unit within the College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture, fosters research, outreach, and education in support of the sustainability and profitability of the iconic lobster industry of the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada.   The Institute serves to maximize the engagement of UMaine faculty, students and facilities with stakeholders in the fishery, working with  industry  leaders, scientists and policy makers to identify and address new challenges and opportunties. 

The Department of Psychology. Facilities for experimental and clinical research include laboratories for the study of human and animal behavior, cognition, perception, and emotion. Among departmental research foci are depression and anxiety disorders, peer relations, developmental psychopathology, cognitive aging, and socio-cognitive factors influencing health and well-being. There are rooms designed for observation and audio-visual recording of behavior, as well as electrically shielded rooms for psychophysiological recordings. The department also operates a psychology clinic (Psychological Services Center) for instructional and research purposes. Through faculty affiliation with Eastern Maine Healthcare, research opportunities are also provided at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The Psychological Services Center, maintained and administered by the Department of Psychology, has three interrelated functions. It is a community mental health clinic which serves central Maine residents of all ages through the provision of psychotherapy, and psychological assessment on site. Referrals are accepted from area physicians, family members, other mental health agencies/professionals, and from clients themselves. Graduate students in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program serve as clinic staff under direct supervision of licensed psychologists. Facilities for direct observation of treatment and audio-video recording are available. The clinic also provides mental health consultation services to community agencies. These services may involve consultation to agency staff on mental health matters, provision of direct services to individuals served by various agencies, and the provision of workshops and training seminars for residents and staff. The third function of the clinic is to serve as a clinical research facility. From time to time specialized treatment/research programs may be offered to the community free of charge. These programs aim to identify particular client populations and provide new and innovative approaches to the treatment of specific disorders.

The Canadian-American Center.  Founded in 1968, the Canadian-American Center is one of the leading institutes in the United States for studying Canada.  Designated a National Resource Center in Canada by the U.S. Department of Education in 1979, the Center coordinates all Canadian Studies activities at The University of Maine. The Center organizes international conferences, promotes student and faculty exchanges with Canadian universities, coordinates outreach activities in schools and in the community, and supports graduate research on Canadian-American topics.

The principal graduate programs in Canadian Studies are in the Department of Modern Languages, which offers an M.A. in North American French studies, and in the Department of History, which has a Canadian concentration at both the master’s and doctoral levels. Individualized graduate programs are also available in many departments. The Canadian collection at the Fogler Library is outstanding. Holdings include numerous journals, newspapers, the pre-1900 Canadian series, government documents, dissertations, and the Mason Wade collection.

Students interested in graduate study on Canada or a Canadian-related field may contact the Canadian-American Center, 154 College Avenue, or contact Canadian Studies faculty in Anthropology, English, Modern Languages, History, and the Climate Change Institute.

The Maine Folklife Center is a unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The staff teaches courses through the Department of Anthropology, and conducts research in folklore, oral history and related subjects. Undergraduate work-study students and interns conduct work in the podcasting studio and assist with other projects. Graduate assistantships are sometimes available; students should contact the Center for more information. The Center is located in South Stevens and is open by appointment. For further information, email: folklife@maine.edu, telephone 581-1891 or visit our website: www.umaine.edu/folklife.

The Center for Poetry and Poetics (CPP; formerly the National Poetry Foundation, or NPF) is a center for research on twentieth- and twenty-first-century poetry.  Established in 1971 by Carroll F. Terrell (1917-2003) as a center for Ezra Pound scholarship, the CPP’s mission was expanded by Burton Hatlen (director from 1990 until his death in 2008) to include the entire tradition of innovative poetry from modernism to the present day.  CPP publishes a scholarly journal, Paideuma, which is devoted to scholarship on modernist and postmodernist poetry, as well as books of poetry and scholarly books on modern poetry. Poets whose collections have been published by CPP/NPF include Helen Adam, Joanne Kyger, Evelyn Scott, Ted Enslin, Armand Schwerner, and Constance Hunting.  NPF also published the Modern Poets Series, which consists of substantial volumes of biographical and critical commentary on such poets as Louis Zukofsky, George Oppen, Basil Bunting, William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, H.D., T. S. Eliot, Hugh MacDiarmid, Mina Loy, and many others. Fifteen volumes have been published in this series, the most recent on Ronald Johnson. Graduate students have regularly found opportunities to provide editorial assistance in the development of CPP publications. CPP also organizes conferences that bring to the University of Maine major poets and poetry scholars. Past participants have included Allen Ginsberg, Carl Rakosi, Lewis Simpson, Ruth Stone, Hugh Kenner, Marjorie Perloff, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Joan Retallack, Charles Bernstein, and many other distinguished poets and critics.  University of Maine graduate students regularly participate in these conferences. For more information, go to the Center’s blog: https://nationalpoetryfoundation.wordpress.com

The Child Development Learning Center, in the College of Education and Human Development, offers observational facilities and a setting in which to work with young children. Individuals have an opportunity to be involved in teacher training programs, curriculum development, and research focused on topics related to child and family development. Research may be interdisciplinary with other departments such as Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology. Graduate assistantships are available and assistants become part of the Center staff.  http://www.umaine.edu/edhd/professionals/katherine-m-durst-child-development-learning-center/

The Madelyn E. and Albert D. Conley Speech Language and Hearing Center, located in Dunn Hall, is a center for clinical education and research as well as a facility for comprehensive state-of-the-art speech, language and hearing services. Both the Speech-Language Clinic and the Audiology Clinic provide services for individuals across the lifespan. The Speech-Language Clinic offers both evaluation and treatment services as well as outreach services to preschools, public/private schools, hospitals and group homes. The Audiology Clinic offers comprehensive services including hearing testing, hearing aid evaluations and hearing aid fittings. Additionally, the Conley Center offers speech therapy telepractice training and speech therapy services to children and adults across Maine and internationally.  This graduate level telepractice training program is one of the first in the country to teach telepractice as a service delivery model to future Speech-Language Pathologists. The training program has three learning components that are guided by ASHA requirements of knowledge and skills in providing speech therapy telepractice clinical services. Graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders complete supervised clinical practicum experiences in both Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the Conley Center. Additionally, graduate students complete clinical placements in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and community speech and hearing centers. The Master’s Program at the University of Maine is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard #310, Rockville, Maryland 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

The Bureau of Labor Education (BLE) The Bureau of Labor Education is a department within the University of Maine’s Division of Lifelong Learning. The Bureau maintains an undergraduate Minor in Labor Studies as well as a Labor Studies Track that is part of the Bachelor of University Studies degree.  The Bureau also conducts educational programs and research on issues of interest to workers, labor unions and policy makers. Topics include labor and employment law, labor history, labor relations, political economy, collective bargaining, arbitration and administrative hearing advocacy, mock arbitration, Robert’s Rules of Order, union officer training and leadership development.

The Virtual Environments and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Laboratory 

The VEMI Lab is an educational, research, and development facility based on a collaborative model where faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from across more than a dozen disciplines learn about emerging technologies, scientific research, and creative problem solving. VEMI’s mission is to conduct world-class research and to provide students with the training they need to be leaders in today’s IT workforce or research-driven careers. For more information, please visit: https://umaine.edu/vemi/

Graduate Interdisciplinary Endeavors at The University of Maine
The University of Maine is firmly and deeply committed to the expansion of knowledge and understanding by encouraging various forms of interdisciplinary academic endeavor. Such activities have become the hallmark of academic excellence and a clear indicator of the intellectual vitality of modern institutions of higher learning. The University of Maine accordingly boasts a vibrant array of interdisciplinary activities that provide an exceptionally wide range of opportunities for all members of the University community - undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty members, staff members, administrators - to participate in scholarly undertakings that involve multiple academic disciplines. The following list covers opportunities currently available to graduate students at the University of Maine; other endeavors may be in the planning stages, and the University actively fosters the expansion of this critical aspect of its overall mission of teaching, research, and public service.  For more information, click here.

I. Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources

Autism Spectrum Disorders (graduate certificate)
Digital Curation (graduate certificate)

Disability Studies (graduate specialization and certificate)
Earth and Climate Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Financial Economics
Food and Nutrition Sciences (Ph.D. program)
Gerontology (graduate certificate)

Forestry (MFY {non-thesis}, M.S., Ph.D.)
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. (various concentrations available, e.g., Engineering in the Natural Sciences)
Intermedia (MA and MFA)
Landscape Horticulture emphasis within the M.S. degree program in Horticulture
Master of Arts in Global Policy (SPIA)

Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (including New Media, Intermedia, Maine Studies and Peace Studies tracks)
Master of Science in Teaching (concentrations in Physics, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, or Generalist Option)
Plant Science (Ph.D. program; multi-departmental)
Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree
Quaternary and Climate Studies
Marine Policy (M.S.)
Marine Sciences and Marine Policy Dual Degree Program (3 years: with an M.A. in Policy and and M.S. in one of the marine sciences)

 

II. Other Interdisciplinary Endeavors
Academy of Public Service (joint endeavor of UM Dept. of Political Science; M.C. Smith Center, and the Muskie Institute of USM)
Advanced Structures and Composites Center
Canadian-American Center
Center for Community Inclusion and Disabilities Studies
Cooperative Extension
Division of Lifelong Learning
Forest Bioproducts Research Institute
Franco-American Center
Climate Change Institute
ITHCRA (Interdisciplinary Training for Health Care for Rural Areas Project)
Frontier Institute for Reserch in Sensor Technologies
Maine Folklife Center
Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy
Pulp and Paper Process Development Center
Research Collaborative on Violence Against Women
Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research
Solar Vehicle Team (College of Engineering)
University of Maine Center on Aging
Wabanaki Center
William Cohen Center for Public Policy and Commerce

Cooperative Research Relationships
The University of Maine maintains active cooperative research relationships, formally and informally, with a variety of institutions and agencies in Maine, the United States and other countries. A partial listing follows:

Augusta Mental Health Institute
Bangor Counseling Center
Bangor Mental Health Institute
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Center for Learning Disabilities
Eastern Maine Medical Center
Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
Jackson Laboratory
Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Geological Survey
Maine Medical Center
Maine Municipal Association
Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
The U.S. Geological Survey
Veterans Administration Hospital, Togus