University of New England

For more than 100 years, Maine's nonprofit biomedical research institutions have been making significant contributions to human health and Maine's economy.

Currently, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and the five other institutions of the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition are conducting research on every major disease, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and glaucoma.
 
November 6, 2007 Bond Referendum

On Nov. 6, 2007, Maine's citizens approved Question 2 on the statewide ballot that is providing $5,000,000 in loans and grant funds and $50,000,000 in research, development and commercialization funds for targeted technology sectors.

These funds are being awarded after a competitive process administered by the Maine Technology Institute and they will leverage at least $50,000,000 in other funds.

The bond initiative is expected to stimulate economic growth and job creation through investments in the Maine economy. Facts and issues related to Question 2  include the following:*

• Maine currently ranks 50th out of 50 states in university research and development, as well as 50th out of 50 states in the number of science and engineering graduates.
• Total R&D spending as a percentage of Gross State Product is only 1 percent in Maine; well below the national percentage as well as well below the other New England states. 
• The ratio of return on investment of previous R&D money invested in Maine has been 14-to-1. 
• Maine companies that receive state R&D investment are growing 6 times faster than the Maine economy as a whole and pay wages that are 25 percent higher than the Maine average per capita income. 
• The R&D bonds will provide the possibility of leveraging an additional $50 million from other sources for investment in Maine job creation.

Advancing Research at
the University of New England

On Oct. 7, 2007, the University of New England celebrated the start of construction for new research labs in Biddeford that would not have been possible without prior research and development bonds approved by the Maine voters.

With new programs in medical and marine research and plans for a new College of Pharmacy this is just the beginning for the University of New England.

Past Bonds
UNE is a member of both the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition (MBRC) and Maine Marine Research Coalition (MMRC), two entities that received state funding from the $20 million Research and Development Bond approved by voters in 2005.

Biomedical Research Funds
The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine received a total of $1,248,149 in Maine biomedical research funds from the 2005 bond referendum and earlier bond referenda and appropriations. UNECOM banked that money to leverage other federal and private funds towards construction of biomedical research laboratories on the University Campus.

The first phase, a $6.16 million project, broke ground on Oct. 7, 2007. Medical scientists will use this facility to perform research in a variety of fields, including pain, diabetes and geriatrics.

This new 22,086-square-foot Pickus Center for Biomedical Research will house a state-of-the-art research facility. By fall 2008, four to six laboratories will be up and running. It will eventually house ten or more teams conducting important biomedical and other research. This will allow the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine's faculty to dedicate themselves to educating physicians and advancing the practice of medicine, while giving students greater opportunities to experience research as part of their medical studies.

Marine Research Funds
In July 2006, UNE also received a $500,000 state grant from the $4 million Maine Marine Research Fund, established by the 2005 bond referendum, to fund a five-year project to study how Saco River discharge affects the current along southern Maine’s coast, the formation of toxic plankton blooms, beach erosion and fish and shellfish populations.

The Saco River project has been driving economic development in many ways: by attracting more federal grants, generating critical information for commercial and recreational fishermen, informing decisions about toxic blooms and erosion prevention, and training UNE students in modern marine research techniques to strengthen our workforce.

More Information

For more information on the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition and the economic benefits of past state spending on biomedical research, explore the links to the left.  (More on investing for the future.)

Also, click to view a video highlighting the work of the five Maine Biomedical Research Coalition members and the impact this research has on Maine's economy.

*The information for these bulleted points was compiled by the political action committee Fighting for Maine's Future.