The University of Maine System (UMS) is set to receive $51 million in federal funding as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill.
This funding will be spread across three projects, including the construction of a health and life sciences complex and the expansion of the ocean observation system in the Gulf of Maine, as well as the Maine Collector Survey for lobster in the Gulf of Maine.
Of these three projects, the development of a new health sciences complex is receiving the largest portion of this funding, coming in at $45 million.
Funding for the expanded ocean observation system will be getting $5 million, while the remaining $1 million will go toward the expansion of the Maine Collector Survey.
“The brilliant faculty and students at Maine’s public universities and at the flagship university are conducting cutting-edge research and making promising discoveries in a wide variety of fields,” Sen. Susan Collins (R) said in a statement Tuesday announcing the money.
“This funding to support these exciting projects across the UMaine System would promote workforce development, support marine research, and help to prepare the next generation of leaders,” she said. “As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
Click Here to Read Sen. Collins’ Full Statement
In a separate statement from Sen. Collins office, further details on the new complex that UMS will be constructing with this funding.
The new facility comes after UMS released a study offering several suggestions to improve health care access throughout Maine.
Among the recommendations put forward in the report was “investing in research, nursing, and allied health programs; and building the physical infrastructure necessary for long-term success, including a proposed cutting-edge health sciences complex at the flagship” campus in Orono.
“This funding will be a catalyst for UMaine and for the future of health care in our state,” Collins said at the time.
“The new health and life sciences complex will help educate aspiring nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals here in Maine, preparing the next generation to meet the complex needs of our state,” she said. “This funding will help ensure that Mainers benefit from important advances in medicine, other life sciences, and technology for years to come.”
Click Here to Read the Full Press Release
The federal funding bill that includes the $51 million for UMS will now be sent to President Donald Trump (R) for a signature.
