2009 Maine EPSCoR Upward Bound Partnership

EPSCoR - or the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research - is a federal program directed at states that have historically received lesser amounts of federal Research &Development funding. Through this program, states receive support to develop partnerships between their higher education institutions, industry, government, and others in order to effect lasting improvements in their Research infrastructure, capacity, and national competitiveness. Maine has received EPSCoR funding from several federal agencies since 1980, and the Maine EPSCoR office is based at the University of Maine in Orono.

From 2006-2009, the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative at the University of Maine (or FBRI), was established as Maine's National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant project. The FBRI vision is to advance understanding about the scientific underpinnings, system behavior, and policy implications for the production of forest-based bioproducts that meet societal needs for materials, chemicals and fuels in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner.

Upward Bound is a federally funded program which assists qualified students to improve their skills in high school and to prepare to enter and succeed in college. This is accomplished through special programs throughout the academic year, and through an intense six-week residential summer research experience.

In the summer of 2008 a new collaboration between Maine EPSCoR and Upward Bound at the University of Maine allowed 35 students to learn firsthand about the research taking place in the University's FBRI program.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Maine
• epscor
• upward
• bound
• forest
• bio
• products
• sustainability
• orono
• university