Planning: Maine EPSCoR RII Track-1 Planning Grant

在为期一年的时间里，这项计划拨款将集中于五个目标，以合作和包容的方式，使选定的项目概念和研究团队成熟。规划赠款的目标是：(1)网络评估和动员，重点关注缅因州的人力和组织网络；(2)战略规划与差距分析；(3)经济评估，包括劳动力和商业化分析；(4)劳动力发展规划，包括确定缅因州的基线人口统计数据；(5)制定关键战略文件和事件，包括未来五年项目实施计划和详细的项目逻辑模型。实现这些目标的关键活动将在12个月的时间内进行，其中包括三个主要的全州活动，依次关注倾听、战略规划和综合。这个来自缅因大学的规划项目有潜力发展未来EPSCoR研究基础设施改善轨道1提案所需的州内团队合作，该提案的主题是“缅因州新兴绿色经济中气候智能型可再生资源脱碳的未来机会（Maine- forre）”。这个主题与缅因州的国家科学和技术计划是一致的，该计划确定“缅因州的森林及其相关产品是该州的一个独特机会，考虑到缅因州对脱碳、可再生材料和自然气候解决方案的兴趣，缅因州将利用和扩展这些解决方案。”Maine- forre计划战略性地统一缅因大学现有的几个研究中心（即先进结构和复合材料中心，可持续森林研究中心，STEM教育研究中心，森林生物制品研究所，玛格丽特蔡斯史密斯政策中心，过程开发中心和参议员乔治J.米切尔可持续发展解决方案中心）。规划提案将促进现有中心之间的联系，并允许与缅因州内外的其他合作伙伴，特别是联邦国家实验室建立更多联系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Over a one-year period, this planning grant will focus on addressing five objectives to mature a selected project concept and research team, using a collaborative, inclusive approach. The planning grant objectives are: (1) network assessment and mobilization, focusing on the human and organizational network in Maine; (2) strategic planning and gap analysis; (3) economic assessment, including workforce and commercialization analyses; (4) workforce development planning, including the determination of baseline demographics within Maine; and, (5) development of key strategic documents and events, including an implementation plan for the future five-year project and a detailed project logic model. Key activities to achieve these objectives will occur on a 12-month timeline that features three major statewide events focused sequentially on listening, strategic planning, and synthesis. This planning project from the University of Maine has the potential to develop the intrastate teamwork needed for a future EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 proposal on the topic of “Future Opportunities for Decarbonization with Climate-Smart Renewable Resources in Maine’s Emerging Green Economy (Maine-FORRE).” This topic is properly aligned with Maine’s state Science & Technology plan, which identifies “Maine’s forests and their associated products as a unique opportunity for the state, given interests in decarbonization, renewable materials, and natural climate solutions upon which Maine-FORRE will capitalize and expand.” Maine-FORRE plans to strategically unify several existing University of Maine research centers (i.e., Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, Center for Research in STEM Education, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute, Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, Process Development Center, and Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions). The planning proposal will foster linkages among the existing centers, and allow additional linkages to other partners, both internal and external to Maine, particularly Federal national laboratories.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.