The University of Maine (UMaine), the only Carnegie-ranked research university in Maine, is an INBRE research institution partner and a source of graduate students for the future of biomedical research in Maine. Located in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land grant university and sea grant college. Its mission is to be the state’s center of learning, discovery and service to the public.
UMaine is comprised of 158 buildings on 660 acres overlooking the Stillwater River. Since 1968 it has served as the flagship university within the University of Maine System, conferring the PhD degree in 30 academic programs. UMaine has the responsibility for providing high quality undergraduate and graduate education programs, public service outreach, and basic and applied research. As the largest academic institution in Maine, it has BS, BA, MS and PhD programs in biological, physical and computational sciences and engineering.
UMaine’s research strength in the biological sciences and engineering was historically in agro-forestry and marine sciences, including plant and marine molecular genetics. During the past decade, driven in part by INBRE participation, UMaine has made a strategic shift in its planning to increase its faculty and research base in biomedical sciences and engineering.
In 2006, UMaine created the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE). The GSBSE is a unique graduate program that includes the University of Maine as the Ph.D. granting institution and four cooperating academic and research institutions within Maine; the Jackson Laboratory, MDI Biological Laboratory, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, and the University of New England. The GSBSE provides diverse interdisciplinary training in biomedical research through its PhD in Biomedical Science, its PhD in Biomedical Engineering, and its PSM in Bioinformatics.
Graduate students are integral to research. Outreach funds designated for graduate students will expand support for the retention of students in Maine and the school-to-employment pipeline for Maine’s biomedical research needs.