Nearly $8.7 Million for the UMaine System Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bills
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $8,650,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine (UMaine) System. Included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), Energy and Water Development (EWD), and Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bills, this legislation was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today and now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“The University of Maine System is dedicated to advancing the state through an array of innovative programs, projects, and cutting-edge research,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would support initiatives to modernize outdated equipment, renovate facilities, and conduct research across UMaine System. As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“Maine’s public universities are at the forefront of advancing research and workforce development to benefit Maine’s people and economy. We are greatly appreciative of Senator Collins’s support of these projects, which will enable our universities to conduct state-of-the-art R&D in the sciences, engineering, and computing, while simultaneously educating the future innovation workforce of the region,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System.
"With the planned renovations to the Ricker Addition building, the University of Maine at Farmington is responding to the dire shortage of trained healthcare professionals in rural Maine. Renovations will outfit new health professional classrooms and simulation labs. The renovated space will provide vital training infrastructure and a pipeline to employment with regional partners in the healthcare industry," said Joseph McDonnell, President, University of Maine at Farmington.
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY 2025 FSGG, EWD, and LHHS Appropriations bills—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
Funding advanced by Senator Collins is as follows:
Health Care Training Center Renovations
Recipient: University of Maine Farmington
Project Location: Farmington, ME
Amount Requested: $1,900,000
Project Purpose: For facilities and equipment to support a new Health Care Education Center.
Renewable Carbon Waste Streams in Biorefineries
Recipient: University of Maine System
Project Location: Old Town, ME
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Purpose: To conduct research, in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, on the utilization of carbon waste streams in biorefineries.
Northeast Indigenous Archaeology and Heritage Science Center Record Digitization
Recipient: University of Maine System
Project Location: Orono, ME
Amount Requested: $750,000
Project Purpose: To support archival work and to purchase equipment.
Modernizing Engineering & Computing Labs
Recipient: University of Maine System
Project Location: Orono, ME
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Purpose: To purchase equipment for the engineering department lab.
In July, Senator Collins advanced nearly $53 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the UMaine System in the FY 2025 Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024. As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championingtargeted investments that willbenefit Maine communities.
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