Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Purpose: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Seeks a $12,202,740 Grant for the Innovation and Education Wing Project, Expanding the Main Laboratory Building in East Boothbay, Maine to Meet Increased Demand for the Organization's Transformative Ocean Science Education Initiatives and to Continue Growth in Its Innovation Work to Address Global Climate Change Issues and Support the Regional Aquaculture and Biotech Economy.activities to Be Performed: the New Wing Will Contain Classrooms, Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Space, Laboratories, as Well as New Additions to Campus Including Bigelow's First Teaching Labs and a 300-PERSON Forum That Will Be a Resource for the Broader Community in the Region. These Funds Will Match a Gift Challenge for the Construction Project Posed by the Harold Alfond Foundation.expected Outcomes: Facilities in the New Wing Will Allow Bigelow to Expand Its Services to Marine Resource Managers in Maine and Around the Us, Which Currently Include Monitoring for Shellfish Toxins Through Bigelow Analytical Services, Supporting the Growing Aquaculture Sector Through Its Center for Seafood Solutions, and Collaborative Opportunities With the Growing Blue Biotechnology Sector Through Its Center for Algal Innovation.intended Beneficiaries:the Laboratory Intends to Increase the Number of People Engaged by Community Outreach From Its Current Level of 1,130 Annually to Over 1,800 With the New Wing. This Includes General Visitors to Campus and Participants in Science or Community Workshops and Conferences Hosted. the Forum and Other Public Gathering Spaces in the New Wing Will Allow Bigelow to Host Larger Audiences in a World-class Presentation Space. the Lab Plans to Add Two New Professional Courses and Workshops in the Near Term That Utilize the New Wing, Including a Cryopreservation Course. Bigelow's Popular Public "caf-sci" Speaker Series, for Example, Attracts Hundreds of Attendees on Summer Tuesday Evenings, Both In-person and Virtual. These and Other Large Events Currently Take Place in a Glass-lined Corridor Known as the "commons". the Narrow Width, Sun Exposure, and Poor Acoustics of the Commons Have Proven Unsuitable for the Series and Does Not Support the High Quality of Bigelow Science or Scientific Presentations. the Commons Is Also a Central Thoroughfare for the Lab, Precluding Hosting Workshops or Small Conferences in the Space During Business Hours.with the Added Classroom and Educational Laboratory Spaces to Be Built, Students Will Be Major Beneficiaries of This Wing. Programs Such as Bigelow's "sea Change," One of the Top Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Marine Science in the Country, Will Be Able to Serve Two to Three Times the Number of Students. With the New Wing, Bigelow Will Hire a Dedicated Educational Programming Director and Make Use of the Two New, 20-PERSON Classroom Spaces on a Regular Basis. Bigelow Continues to Work With Colleges to Identify Ways to Fund Expanded Opportunities for Students at Bigelow. in the Long Term, It Is Expected That the Number of Students in the Laboratory's High Touch Experiential Programs Will Double From the Current 350 to 700 Annually, Educational Partners Will Grow From 7 to 15, and Educational Programs Operated Annually Will Grow From 22 to 36.SUBRECIPIENT Activities: None