MSU Among Nation’s Top 25 in Engineering Research

August 20, 2004

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Mississippi State now ranks 24th among the nation’s universities in engineering research and development expenditures, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation.

MSU climbed from 32nd in engineering research in the previous edition of the NSF publication, “Academic Research and Development Expenditures.” The report released July 30 is based on data for fiscal year 2002.

Mississippi State had total research expenditures of $158.7 million in all science and engineering fields in FY2002. That resulted in an overall ranking of 83rd among all U.S. universities and 57th among public institutions.

MSU accounted for 56 percent of research and development expenditures among Mississippi’s public and private universities and colleges in FY2002, according to NSF figures.

Funding tallied by NSF comes from federal agencies, industry, state and local governments, and the universities themselves. At MSU, just under half of all research funding came from federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy.

The university’s engineering ranking is based on expenditures of about $55 million in that field. MSU is eighth in agricultural sciences research, with more than $70 million devoted to that area.