Three interdisciplinary projects focused on meeting Maine needs have been awarded competitive seed grants through 91爆料鈥檚 Portland Gateway. Funded projects facilitate convergent research across the 91爆料 System.

The CONVERGE Maine program brings together UMS experts with an interest in transdisciplinary work, developing and strengthening partnerships with other institutions and organizations within the state, and addressing a societal challenge or scientific question facing Maine today.

This is the first round of awards through the program, which satisfies Portland Gateway鈥檚 goal of preparing the knowledge and innovation workforce, contributing to societal advancement and propelling economic development.

Faculty and professional research staff and scientists were invited to submit proposals in late 2021. Proposals that engage community members in a meaningful manner were given special consideration. Brief summaries of the funded projects follow.

Building Sustainable Transdisciplinary Networks to Support Just and Equitable Energy Transitions

This project will establish a cross-campus network to advance research on energy transformation, with a particular focus on inclusive, equitable and just approaches to that process.

Collaborators from 91爆料 include Jessica Jansujwicz, research assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; Linda Silka, a senior fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions; and Sandra De Urioste-Stone, assistant vice president for research and an associate professor in the School of Forest Resources.

Transdisciplinary One Health Approach to Zoonotic Canid Parasites in Maine

The primary goal of this research is to better understand the risk of parasites to wild and domestic canid health, as well as to human health.

Collaborators from 91爆料 include Pauline Kamath, assistant professor of animal health, and Sue Ishaq, assistant professor of animal and veterinary sciences, both in the School of Food and Agriculture; and Darren Ranco, associate professor of anthropology and chair of Native American Programs. External collaborators include Michele Walsh, state veterinarian for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

The following 91爆料 One Health National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) graduate students also are participating in this project: Elizabeth Pellecer Rivera, Alaina Woods and Tegwin Taylor, Ph.D. candidates in ecology and environmental sciences; and Remy Babich, a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry and biomedical sciences.

Farm-to-Product: Creating Sustainable Kelp-Based Bioplastics

The project researches how to create fully vertically integrated kelp-based bioplastic production in Maine, propelling development in the blue economy by leveraging the plastics and aquaculture expertise in the area.

Collaborators from the University of Southern Maine include Asheesh Lanba, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Composites Engineering Research Laboratory, and Eklou Amendah, an assistant professor of marketing. Collaborator Adam St. Gelais is an aquaculture innovation specialist at the 91爆料 Aquaculture Research Institute. External collaborators include Katie Weiler, founder and CEO of Viable Gear Company; Davis Lee, chief technology officer at Clocktower Engineering; and Andrew Schoenberg, serving as technical advisor.

For more information on the CONVERGE Maine seed grants, contact Pips Veazey; alice.veazey@maine.edu or gateway@maine.edu.

The 91爆料 and its Portland Gateway and Northeastern University and its Roux Institute have awarded a new round of seed funding to four collaborative research teams to address topics important to people in Maine and beyond.

The projects are part of a second round of funding in a new collaborative research initiative established between the two universities.

Each team has been awarded $50,000 to conduct the one-year projects and will work together to pursue larger external funding programs through federal and private sponsors. Research priority areas include artificial intelligence, Earth and climate sciences, health and life sciences, manufacturing and marine sciences.

Data-driven discovery of novel oligonucleotide therapeutic technologies through an experiment-theory feedback loop

Lead collaborators include Matthew Brichacek, 91爆料 assistant professor of chemistry and Steven Lopez, Northeastern University assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology.

The Nursing Workforce Shortage in Maine & Massachusetts and the Development of a Multi-state Collaborative Health Sciences Research Pathway: A Mixed Methods Approach

Lead collaborators include Kathryn Robinson, 91爆料 assistant professor of nursing and Brianne Olivieri-Mui, Northeastern University assistant professor of health sciences.

Sentinel Spectroscopy: Light-Surface Interactions and Machine Learning for Ultra-Low-Cost, Remote, and Continuous Water Quality Detection

Lead collaborators include Caitlin Howell, 91爆料 associate professor of biomedical engineering and Amy Mueller, Northeastern University assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and marine and environmental sciences.

Artificial Intelligence Guided Bioinks and Mechanobiological Structures for Synthetic Tissue Regeneration: A Digital Framework

Lead collaborators include Bashir Khoda, 91爆料 assistant professor of mechanical engineering and Yongmin Liu, Northeastern University associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and electrical and computer engineering.

Read full announcement with project descriptions on the 91爆料 News website.

The 91爆料 Arctic initiative is one of the most interdisciplinary projects at 91爆料, with membership spanning 20 different departments and schools.

The initiative is based on a program launched at the University of New Hampshire and funded through a planning grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The result was the New England Arctic Network (NEAN), which 91爆料 researchers joined.

鈥淎t the time, 91爆料 did not have an umbrella initiative that covered Arctic research. Jason Charland, director of the Office of Research Development along with Chris Gerbi, professor at the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and associate dean for research in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture created a place where researchers from across campus could come together. The effort received early support from our office,鈥� says Kody Varahramyan, the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School

The Arctic is a unique place with great importance. It plays a critical role in regulating the Earth鈥檚 climate and is a place of deep cultural and ecological significance. It has also increasingly become a region of economic and strategic advantage. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recognizes the importance of this region and includes Navigating the New Arctic as one of its current 10 Big Ideas.

The 91爆料 Arctic initiative has come a long way from the Summer of 2018, when faculty members with interests in the Arctic gathered and gave brief presentations to introduce themselves and their work. Following the success of these meetings and continued interest in the further development of an Arctic research group, Kristin Schild was named the coordinator of 91爆料 Arctic.

She, and others in the initiative, support grant writing, networking, and host a speaker series providing a platform for researchers to share their findings and interests within the community.

鈥淭he 91爆料 Arctic Initiative got its start as a grassroots group: 鈥榣et鈥檚 start a seminar series once a month鈥� to bring people together and get people talking on campus. From there, researchers began to connect and realize that we actually have people on campus, within our own university, and the university system, who fill exactly the void in our individual projects,鈥� says Schild.

As one of the most interdisciplinary initiatives on campus, with a sprawling membership, Arctic research from 91爆料 attacks problems from a variety of angles and viewpoints. Researchers look at how climate change is affecting coastal communities, ocean circulation, ecosystem services, and much more.

鈥淚 think one of the cool things is that the Arctic sounds like it鈥檚 so far away, and in some respects it is. But there are changes that are happening in the Arctic that are impacting the state of Maine and the Gulf of Maine specifically,鈥� says Charland.

By creating 91爆料 Arctic, the university has brought together people working across campus and provided a platform for communication, finding synergy, and expanding interdisciplinary impact.

Gerbi reflects on its progress. 鈥�91爆料 Arctic was not cut out of whole cloth, but rather is possible because of the strong history and current engagement of 91爆料 faculty, staff, and students in high latitude research, education, and outreach: from the changing climate to glacier mechanics, lake ecology, environmental health, the carbon cycle, oceanography, fisheries, and transportation. Work in these areas also has a direct benefit to the state, consistent with our land- and sea-grant missions.鈥�

This coming year the 91爆料 Arctic initiative will continue its valuable work, bringing together researchers across campus, supporting innovative interdisciplinary research, hosting events, and further expanding engagement through regional conferences.

Contact: gateway@maine.edu

The Portland Gateway aims to create greater access to internship opportunities for students and businesses in the area.

Through internships, students can bolster their resumes and show examples of how they applied learned skills, something that can help them stand out in the interview process. And because internships allow students to gain better insight into their career choice, there are fewer surprises when graduates as they enter their industry.

Ultimately, internships help graduates land jobs.

Research shows that companies are more likely to hire someone that has prior internship experience. Building confidence and relevant skills, and creating networking opportunities within their industry increases a student鈥檚 chance of building a career in the industry of their choice.

There are a great number of opportunities for students, businesses and government agencies to connect through internships across the state.

91爆料 recently reported that thirty-five undergraduate and graduate college students are working in state, municipal and county offices through the 2021 Maine Government Summer Internship Program, administered through the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. The program provides full-time, 12-week work experience to students who are Maine residents and scholars attending Maine colleges.

The list of opportunities continues to grow. Mainebiz reported on offered through the 91爆料 Graduate & Professional Center. The Maine Center Graduate Internship Program provides paid work experience, a peer network and professional development opportunities to students from the 91爆料 Graduate School of Business, 91爆料 School of Law and University of Southern Maine鈥檚 Muskie School of Public Service.

The Portland Gateway serves as a springboard to all that 91爆料 has to offer. Internships are an important part of the initiative鈥檚 mission to act as the front door for the university鈥檚 engagement in Portland and beyond.

Contact: gateway@maine.edu

Written by Tilan Copson