Two National Science Foundation Research Grants for Maine
Projects at the University of New England and Bigelow Laboratory receive $2.5 million in funding
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that two Maine projects will receive research grants from the National Science Foundation totaling $2.5 million. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay will receive $1.8 million to fund genetic research. The University of New England in Biddeford is receiving over $636,000 to study the best ways to engage STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students by using innovative research projects on the Saco River.
"I'm proud of the many institutions we have doing world-class research here in Maine. They're an important part of our economy and I'm confident these investments will help build on the state's reputation," said Pingree. "These are fascinating projects to further our knowledge and exploration of the world around us in many ways. My congratulations to both institutions."
Below are summaries of the project abstracts.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences--$1,836,781
"Collaborative research: Untangling the Deep Genealogy of Microbial Dark Matter," under the direction of Ramunas Stepanauskas
This project will use breakthrough technologies to unlock secrets of life's early evolution and genealogy. Many new genomes, encoding the blueprints for disparate organisms, will be analyzed to illuminate the genealogy of ancient microbial species, the relative timing of their origins, and the role that horizontal gene transfer among distant relatives may have played in the origin of new species. Samples of the ancient "microbial dark matter" to be analyzed will come from several unexplored subterranean environments around the world.
University of New England--$639,246
"TURBO: The Undergraduate Saco River Biodiversity Observatory -- A Long-Term EcologicalResearch-Style Research Experience to Enhance STEM Education," under the direction of Markus Frederich
This project is aimed at helping more students complete STEM courses of study by making them more engaging. Investigators will create project-oriented experiences in the Saco River estuary for STEM students at UNE, implementing undergraduate research projects on a number of scientific topics and an interdisciplinary conference to discuss the findings. Researchers will also examine how the hands-on curriculum affects student retention and persistence.
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