The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $102,498 Project Grant under the Integrative Activities (IA) program to the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) for the "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: E-RISE RII: ENHANCING MAINE FOREST ECONOMY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM TO ACCELERATE INNOVATION" project. This collaborative effort aims to establish a diverse, sustainable, and statewide research, education, and innovation incubator that builds strategic R&D capacity to fuel growth in Maine's forest-based economy and support rural communities. The project involves four interconnected research themes: environmental AI & informatics, cellulosic nanofiber bioproducts, rural & tribal resilience, and smart rural development. The award will directly support 45 faculty, 85 undergraduates, 10 graduate students, and 4 postdocs, in addition to benefiting 200 K-12 educators and 2,000 students across 15 schools. The project also engages 10 diverse rural and economically distressed Maine communities, as well as a tribal nation, to promote community resilience and capacity building. This grant is part of the NSF EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) program, which aims to transform STEM research capacity and competitiveness in eligible jurisdictions.