EPSCoR: University of Maine Research Infrastructure to Enhance Maine's High-Technology Industries

University Of Maine, Orono ME

Investigators

Abstract

This project will enhance the research infrastructure at the University of Maine, the only research university in the state, and the institution responsible for awarding all of the state's Ph.Ds in science and engineering. The goal of the project is to develop two complimentary and nationally competitive research programs at the University of Maine that will provide significant research support for the state's emerging high-technology industries. One of the programs to be developed under the award will establish new research capabilities at the University in the area of Biosensor Technology. Development of Biosensors with applications to food safety, medical monitoring and bioweapons detection will be pursued under the award. The Biosensor Technology program is expected to stimulate cooperative research activities by chemists, microbiologists, food scientists, and electrical engineers at the University and its industrial partners. The second program will focus on Intelligent Spacial Technologies, which provide spatial information in ways that meet user choices of concepts, language and style of interaction. The project will build on the University's existing research strength in Geographic Information Science by focusing on the software engineering of spacial domain research. NSF funding will be used principally to hire new tenure-track faculty (four in Biosensors and three in Intelligent Spacial Technologies) and to provide them with the equipment, graduate students and technicians to initiate their research efforts at the University.