UNE joins forces with Portland nonprofit on research accelerator

Courtesy / University of New England The University of New England has campuses in Portland, shown here, and Biddeford, as well as overseas in Tangier, Morocco.

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By Alexis Wells

The University of New England and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute are collaborating to establish a new research partnership focused on addressing climate, ocean and planetary health challenges through joint faculty research projects.

This new initiative, the UNE-GMRI Research Accelerator, will provide mini-grants to support collaborative pilot studies between faculty and researchers at both institutions.

GMRI specializes in research of the ocean ecosystem. Its scientists conduct research across physical, biological, ecological and social sciences to produce science that deepens understanding, informs policy and delivers solutions.

“The challenges facing our environment and coastal communities are increasingly complex, and they demand solutions that are equally multifaceted,” said Gwendolyn Mahon, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at UNE. “This partnership is a strategic example of UNE’s commitment to working across institutional and disciplinary boundaries to better understand and protect our planet."

In its inaugural round, four teams of researchers from UNE and GMRI have been selected to receive nearly $40,000 in funding to complete projects spanning from sustainable aquaculture, climate resilience and environmental DNA detection methodologies.

Project award recipients

Rex Yoon of UNE and Kanae Tokunaga, GMRI, for the development of sustainable and socially responsible eel fisheries and aquaculture in Maine.
Jennifer Brousseau of UNE and Gayle Bowness of GMRI for bridging the gap and building relationships and gathering community perspectives on climate action, process and progress.
Markus Frederich of UNE and Graham Sherwood of GMRI for improving eDNA detection probability and spatial‐temporal inferences by manipulating DNA fragment length.
Patricia Thibodeau of UNE and Jerome Pinti of GMRI for quantifying the decay rate of lipid sacs of historical Calanus Finmarchicus (a component of the zooplankton) samples preserved in formalin.

“People depend to the ocean for food, livelihood, and recreation, but the changes in our ocean ecosystems are challenging how we use and manage these resources,” said Janet Duffy-Anderson, chief scientific officer at GMRI. “Strategic partnerships like this one can help turn knowledge into action by ensuring communities can create and access the information, resources and relationships they need to make important decisions.”

UNE includes the state’s only medical college and only dental college and offers a variety of other health care degree programs. The university has more than 6,500 students, including 2,300 on-campus undergraduates, 1,600 on-campus graduate students and 2,600 online students.

UNE was ranked No. 6 among Maine’s largest colleges and universities in the 2024 Mainebiz Book of Lists, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment as of fall 2023.

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