It is my judgment that we could be more powerful and influential as a System if we provided all of our faculty, researchers, and programs with access to the globally renowned research stature we have at the University of Maine. To achieve that end, I have asked Joan Ferrini-Mundy to accept the additional title of Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System. She’ll continue as the president of our flagship university.
UMaine's research stature is growing, with the goal of achieving Carnegie R1 status as soon as possible, but too little attention is paid to how research is supported, encouraged, and coordinated across the System. And now, with unified accreditation, the New England Commission on Higher Education asked in its July 17, 2020 letter that we report in our self-study on our plan for strengthening the funding model for research and increasing research funding and doctoral-level education at the University of Maine.
Although some of our institutions have some specialized research and development infrastructure, the University of Maine as the flagship has a robust and comprehensive infrastructure that already serves institutions across the System. Intentional coordination and support beyond the flagship for research and graduate work happening at our universities will drive growth in Maine’s economy and the development of a talented workforce prepared for the R&D environment.
Research-oriented faculty at our smaller universities (such as Tora Johnson at UMM, Con Sullivan at UMA, Gina Oswald at UMF, Ned Rubert-Nason at UMFK, or Jason Johnston at UMPI, and many others) may benefit from better support and connection to the flagship's research enterprise. In a time of limited resources and unified accreditation, rather than standing up additional parallel research infrastructure anywhere else in the System, we need to coordinate across institutions and ensure that the UMaine infrastructure is accessible and supportive to all.
