Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $7,935,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine (UMaine) System in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD); and Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bills. The bills, which passed the Senate last week and were approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon, have been signed into law.
“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 “This funding will support initiatives to increase health care training, modernize outdated equipment, renovate facilities, and conduct important research across the UMaine System. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this important funding.”
“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 for these high-impact capital projects, which will enable our public universities to modernize facilities necessary to conduct world-class R&D that matters to Maine and prepare the future workforce to lead and care for our communities,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System and President of the University of Maine.
“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 will provide much-needed equipment for high-demand health profession programs at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, including our exercise science, medical laboratory technology, and physical therapist assistant programs, as well as the nursing program we partner with the University of Maine at Fort Kent to deliver on our campus," said Ray Rice, President, University of Maine at Presque Isle. "Training our students for door-opening degrees in these health professions requires modern equipment - from hospital beds to hematology analyzers - that allow us to provide advanced hands-on training, ensuring our graduates are both workforce-ready and able to help meet the future health care workforce needs in our region and throughout Maine."
“Maine is facing a critical workforce gap with an estimated 5,000 new engineering and computing graduates needed to replace retiring workers and fuel job growth across our state,” said Giovanna Guidoboni, Dean, Maine College of Engineering and Computing. “This funding directly addresses that shortage and enables us to equip our students with the practical expertise employers demand. The modernization of engineering and computing labs at multiple campuses across the University of Maine System will mean more graduates who are better prepared to address Maine’s most pressing challenges, from improving energy systems and infrastructure to advancing manufacturing, AI-enabled technologies, and health care.”
Funding secured by Senator Collins for the UMaine System in the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill is as follows:
Computer Training Facility
Recipient: University of Maine Fort Kent
Project Location: Fort Kent, ME
Amount Requested: $885,000
Project Purpose: To support the creation of a computer science working lab.
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.
Health Care Training Equipment Upgrades
Recipient: University of Maine Presque Isle
Project Location: Presque Isle, ME
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Project Purpose: To purchase equipment for the health care profession programs at the University of Maine Presque Isle.
Forest Health Facility Equipment
Recipient: University of Maine System
Project Location: Orono, ME
Amount Requested: $500,000
Project Purpose: To purchase equipment for the University’s Forest Health lab.
Modernizing Engineering and Computing Labs
Recipient: University of Maine System
Project Location: Orono, ME
Amount Requested: $2,400,000
Project Purpose: To purchase equipment for the engineering and computing department labs.
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 record digitization and archival work.
This builds on the $1.35 million Senator Collins secured for the UMaine System in the FY 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill and $51 million in the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured nearly $1.5 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2026. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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