Research

Muskie School Research Centers and Institutes:

• Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy
• Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
• Center for Business and Economic Research
• Environmental Finance Center
• Maine Rural Health Research Center
• National Child Welfare Resource Center
• State Capital Center
• Survey Research Center

Muskie School Laboratories

• Geography-Anthropology Teaching and Research Laboratories

On any given day, staff from the Muskie School might be appearing in Washington, DC before a federal commission on health care, training human service workers in Hawaii, or briefing business executives in Maine on the state economy. From health care and child welfare to taxes and the environment, the Muskie School is engaged in a wide range of research activities that are founded in a common goal — to work together to improve the lives of all citizens through informed policy and practice.

Since its formative stages in 1972, the Muskie School has grown into a vital resource for Maine and the nation and has earned a national reputation for innovative policy research and development. The school conducts $28 million in externally funded research and public service activities with projects throughout Maine and in every state in the nation.

Issues facing policy makers, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the general public are complex and often require multiple and sometimes conflicting solutions. Faculty and research institute staff have formed essential partnerships with federal, state and local agencies as well as private foundations to conduct research and program evaluation, policy analysis, technical assistance, and training. The school's relies on partners in business, government, research, and the community to forge creative solutions to pressing problems, and to share the knowledge gained with wider audiences.