USDA halts millions in funding for University of Maine System

University of Maine campus shot showing building and a flag

File photo / University of Maine The University of Maine System has its flagship campus in Orono, shown here.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has halted millions in research dollars for public universities in Maine for alleged gender-related civil rights violations.

An email from the USDA's financial officer forwarded to the University of Maine stated that the agency would no longer issue payments or authorize funding releases to the University of Maine System, as well as Columbia University.

UMS officials said they received no further communications on the funding pause. They are unaware of being subject to compliance reviews by the USDA or other federal agencies regarding Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

The funding freeze affects millions of dollars supporting Maine's agriculture, aquaculture and forestry industries. In the fiscal year 2024, the USDA awarded around $30 million to the University of Maine for research that benefited farmers, fishermen, foresters and youth initiatives, including 4-H.

Samantha Warren, a spokesperson for the University of Maine System, told Mainebiz on Wednesday that there are $63 million in active, direct USDA awards to Maine's public universities, almost entirely at the University of Maine.

Out of $63 million in USDA funding, $35 million is being held up by the USDA. The UMaine System had expected to receive the funding in the coming months and is mulling its options on how to proceed, Warren said.