Maine's $110M in NIH research grants supported nearly 2,000 jobs last year

COURTESY / UNIVERSITY OF MAINE The University of Maine/Orono received six National Institutes of Health research grants in 2021, totaling $1,704,844. The school this year achieved designation as a top-tier, "R1" research university.

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By Staff

Maine laboratories, colleges and other organizations garnered $109.7 million last year in research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The money supported 1,890 jobs and $255 million in economic activity, according to a study by United for Medical Research, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of research institutions, patient and health advocates and private industry

Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor was by far the big winner, awarded 119 grants that totaled $74,133,426.

Another Bar Harbor organization, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, also did well, with 14 grants in 2021, totaling $8,261,874.

MaineHealth in Portland received 24 grants adding up to $16,534,719.

Other recipients were:

Bowdoin College, one grant, $400,669
ContinueYou LLC dba RAE Health, Newcastle, one grant, $739,128
National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, South Portland, two grants, $2,367,936
Prapela Inc., a Biddeford biotechnology company creating a medical device for infant health, one grant, $1,330,596
University of Maine/Orono, six grants, $1,704,844
University of New England, Biddeford, two grants, $2,602,188
University of Southern Maine, Portland, one grant, $408,684
Wabanaki Health and Wellness, a Bangor provider of behavioral health, housing support and other services to Wabanaki community members, one grant, $1,169,473

According to the study, every dollar invested in NIH research drives $2.60 in new local economic activity.

Nationwide, NIH awarded $35.73 billion to researchers in 2021. The funding supported 552,444 jobs and generated $94.18 billion in economic activity.

“While the role that the NIH plays in saving and improving lives is well known, fewer people are aware of its critical impact on our economy — from supporting jobs and economic activity, as this report illustrates, to fueling the fundamental research and discovery that keeps America at the forefront of biomedical innovation,” United for Medical Research President Chris Austin said in a news release.

More than 80% of the NIH budget is awarded in grants each year.