The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) is joining the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), a consortium of 17 Maine colleges, universities, and research institutes, which has been awarded a $19.4 million National Institutes of Health federal grant for research and training in the field of biomedical sciences.
Led by MDI Biological Laboratory, a non-profit, international hub for the science of aging and regeneration, Maine INBRE aims to boost biomedical research in the state. These efforts create a skilled workforce by engaging undergraduate students in biomedical research, supporting young faculty, and improving research facilities. The goal is to make Maine more competitive in biomedical science. By investing in education and infrastructure, INBRE helps grow Maine’s research capacity.
“As a new partner institution of the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, UMA faculty and staff will be able to make important connections with other members of the INBRE network, provide resources to support UMA faculty scholarship, and contribute to their future research growth while providing real-world research learning opportunities for undergraduate students that address critical public health needs in the State of Maine and beyond,” explained Dr. Pamela MacRae, associate provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
For the first five-year funding cycle, the network included the University of Maine campuses in Orono and Machias, University of Maine at Fort Kent, University of Maine Presque Isle, University of Maine at Farmington, as well as Southern Maine Community College, College of the Atlantic, the University of New England, Colby, Bates and Bowdoin Colleges, and the Jackson Laboratory. New members for INBRE’s second grant cycle include the University of Southern Maine, the MaineHealth Institute for Research and the University of Maine at Augusta. UMA is to receive $60,000 per year for five years plus have access to other research and funding opportunities through the network.
Along with the support of the administration, Dr. Juyoung Shim, Assistant Professor of Biology who also now serves as an Executive Member and Sub-ward principal investigator (PI) of UMA for INBRE, was instrumental in securing this membership. Jenifer Cushman, president of UMA remarked, “We are delighted that UMA’s research endeavor is expanding through the partnership with INBRE to include more opportunities for students to engage in research, and serve the nation’s biomedical needs.” The INBRE funding will support UMA student research, short courses, travel for attending conferences, and research equipment and supplies during the academic year. Additionally, UMA students can apply for a 10-week summer research fellowship supported by the INBRE.