Planning: Maine EPSCoR RII Track-1 Planning Grant

在为期一年的时间里，这笔规划赠款将侧重于解决五个目标，以利用协作、包容的方法成熟选定的项目概念和研究团队。规划赠款的目标是：(1)网络评估和动员，重点是缅因州的人和组织网络；(2)战略规划和差距分析；(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；(5)制定关键战略文件和活动，包括未来五年项目的执行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个月的时间线上进行，其中包括三项全州范围的主要活动，依次侧重于倾听、战略规划和综合。缅因州大学的这个规划项目有可能为未来的EPSCoR研究基础设施改善轨道-1提案开发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(缅因州-福雷)中气候智能可再生资源的未来脱碳机会”。这一主题与缅因州的国家科学与技术计划相一致，缅因州的国家科学与技术计划确定“缅因州的森林及其相关产品对该州来说是一个独特的机会，因为缅因州在脱碳、可再生材料和自然气候解决方案方面的利益，缅因州-福雷将利用和扩大。”缅因州-福雷计划从战略上统一缅因州大学现有的几个研究中心(即高级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、流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，并允许与缅因州内部和外部的其他合作伙伴，特别是联邦国家实验室建立更多联系。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.