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V O L . X X X I N O. X I V J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 2 5 22 H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N / P RO F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O C U S Sea Grant program staved off funding cuts In February, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notified UMaine that it was immediately termi- nating a four-year $4.5 million award for the Sea Grant program, with three years remaining. en two months later, the univer- sity was notified that the NOAA was reversing the decision, an apparent result of Collins' intervention on that funding cut. Money was released for the upcom- ing year, but allocations for the two additional years are contingent upon future appropriations by Congress. Maine's Sea Grant supports chal- lenges facing Maine's coastal economies through research, education and pro- gramming. e Orono-based project is one of 34 nationwide and was the only one that had funding eliminated. e program has more than 700 partnerships with businesses, research- ers, community organizations and local and county governments and supports hundreds of jobs. In 2023, programs and services supported by Maine Sea Grant generated $15 of economic activity in the state for every federal dollar, for a total impact of $23.5 million. "We are deeply appreciative of Sen. Collins' leadership and relentless advo- cacy on behalf of Maine Sea Grant and the hard-working Mainers it has long served," Joan Ferrini-Mundy, UMaine's president, said at the time. "We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and our state's coastal communities to promote resilient local jobs and opportunities and a globally competitive marine economy through research-informed innovation." PFAS research funding gets cut, then restored e U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 6 notified UMaine that it was restoring the full $1.6 mil- lion grant to researchers working to reduce the risks of forever chemicals, known as PFAFS. e university had received a termi- nation notice in May, with $1.4 million of the award still outstanding. "e objectives of the award are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities," was the only explanation given. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — were first found to be present in farm fields in the state in 2016, and were linked to the practice of using sludge from municipal wastewater treat- ment plants as an inexpensive fertilizer. It was later discovered that an estimated 90 Maine farms were affected. e practice was banned in Maine in 2022 and the state created a $60 million fund, administered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, to assist affected farmers and support research. PFAS are blamed for a range of health issues, including decreased vaccine response, higher choles- terol levels, impaired infant and fetal growth, increased risk of some cancers and pregnancy complica- tions such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Warren said the newly restored federal funding to UMaine will complement a recent $499,995 grant from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to study how PFAS compounds in soil can make their way into human food systems. UMaine has been granted a total of $3 million this year from the state DCAF fund for PFAS research. Tina Fischer, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at tfischer @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Business • Employee Benefits • Bonding • Home • Auto UnitedInsurance.net We have multiple opportunities throughout our organization for service-driven insurance professionals to help us take great care of our clients as we grow. To Learn Why You'll Love Working Here: unitedinsurance.net/workbetter To Apply: unitedinsurance.net/careers P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E Without the expected funding researchers will be limited in their ability to analyze the findings and develop a commercialization plan for this revolutionary technology, which has industrial applications well beyond ocean energy. — Samantha Warren University of Maine System

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