ORONO — The University of Maine System (UMS) learned Monday that its funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been temporarily paused, according to a March 11 news release from UMS.

An email forwarded to the University of Maine that appears to have originated from the USDA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer directs the Department’s “awarding agencies and staff offices to temporarily no longer issue any payments or authorize any other releases of funding to Columbia University or the University of Maine System.”

The message, according to the release, said, “This pause is temporary in nature while USDA evaluates if it should take any follow-on actions related to prospective Title VI or Title IX violations. Please take any necessary actions to effectuate this direction from leadership. This pause will remain in effect until further notice.” 

“Title VI” refers to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. Title IX is a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools and education programs that receive federal funding.

On Feb. 22, USDA announced it was initiating a Title IX compliance review of UMaine, though the Department alleged no wrongdoing by the public university. 

Three days later, USDA staff contacted UMS as part of that review. System staff provided timely responses to the federal agriculture department’s questions, which were not specific to any one UMS university and largely focused on whether biological males could compete on women’s sports teams.

In verbal responses to USDA on Feb. 25 and written responses that followed on Feb. 26, the System confirmed its athletic programs were in compliance with relevant State and Federal laws and that UMS universities that are members of the NCAA are also operating in a manner entirely consistent with that association's recently updated policies, which do not allow for varsity student-athletes assigned male at birth to compete in female sports. The System also explained to USDA that it is a quasi-independent State entity.

UMS had not received any further communication from USDA related to the Title IX compliance review since Feb. 26 until the email noting the funding pause was forwarded to the flagship on March 10. UMS is unaware of being subject to any compliance reviews by USDA or any other federal agencies pertaining to Title VI. 

When further analysis is completed, the System will provide additional guidance and comment.

Since its founding as the state’s land grant university in 1865, funding from federal agencies, including USDA, has been essential to UMaine's capacity to prepare the workforce and deliver research-driven innovation necessary for the success and growth of Maine’s natural resource economy. 

In FY24, the USDA awarded $29.78 million to UMaine for research and extension that directly benefited the state’s farmers, fishermen and foresters; supported education and youth leadership development through Cooperative Extension 4-H and other programs; solved industry challenges; improved Maine’s environment and quality of life; and made local food systems safer and more resilient. 

Examples of current USDA-funded UMaine activities, which are undertaken in partnership with company and community stakeholders and may be temporarily paused due to the funding freeze, include:

• Research to understand and mitigate the impact of PFAS contamination on Maine farms, and return land to productive and profitable use. 

• Innovation to develop sustainable packaging materials derived from Maine forest-based materials. 

• Potato breeding and varietal development, like that which created the Caribou Russet, now the top seed potato variety planted in the state and responsible for Maine being one of only three states in the nation where potato production increased in the last two decades.

• Partnered research with state agencies to ensure the health and sustainability of Maine’s lobster fishery. 

• Research and industry training to farmers to reduce and manage pests and improve harvest yields for important Maine crops, including potatoes, wild blueberries and apples.

• Selective breeding, including of salmon and shellfish, to increase the sustainable production and value of Maine’s aquaculture industry. 

• Development and demonstration of building materials derived from Maine’s forests, including cross-laminated timber.

• Support for 4-H youth leadership and STEM skill development programs serving tens of thousands of Maine youth annually.

• Education and outreach to Maine livestock farmers on farm biosecurity and disease outbreak preparedness.

• Development of bio-gel derived from Maine wood waste as a PFAS-free alternative to traditional firefighting foam.

• Technical assistance for Maine farms with succession planning and mediation to strengthen and grow the state’s natural resource economy and dependent jobs and opportunities.

USDA’s temporary pause of direct funding to UMS that was communicated Monday is in addition to an earlier pause of funds that are awarded nationally through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.

Payments through that program, including to UMaine researchers who successfully competed for funding administered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, were temporarily paused last month. 

The University of Southern Maine also has several active USDA awards, the release said.