Mississippi State University is one of the top 25 engineering research colleges in the country, according to a new study by The National Science Foundation.
The report, in which MSU ranked 24th, was released after surveys were completed by the universities. The ranking stands for fiscal year 2002, said University Relations Director Joe Farris.
“The rank is purely based on the amount of expenditures. It reports the amount of money each university spent on engineering research in a given year,” Farris said.
“The amount of research expenditures is an indicator of the level of research activity in a specific area such as engineering.”
Farris added that in 2002 MSU spent nearly $55 million in engineering research alone.
The NSF releases data in different categories, including overall research expenditures and department or college-specific expenditures like engineering, said Jonathon Pote, associate vice president for research.
When comparing the total amount spent on engineering research as well as other types of science research, MSU spent $158.7 million, placing the university above the top schools in 15 states, Pote said.
“The report showed the expenditures of some other schools in fiscal year 2002 to be Auburn with $110 million, Clemson with $132 million and Oregon State with $161 million.”
“Our agricultural research expenditures were ranked seventh in the nation,” he added.
Pote also said that the university’s spending on research increase by nearly $12 million from 2001 to 2002.
The high rank earned by MSU works to the advantage of all students and faculty because it raises the merit of the university, Farris said.
“The NSF report is a way of letting the higher education community, federal agencies and industry see how we fit into the national picture,” Farris said. “The fact that MSU ranks 24th among all public and private institutions is a sign that we are a very competitive institution educationally and technologically.”
The funding for research comes from several sources, which include the NSF, private corporations, government agencies and private donors, said Dennis Prescott, vice president for external affairs.
Faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students are all involved in obtaining the funding necessary for extensive research, Pote said.
“We’re very proud of the faculty here and that’s where it all comes from,” Pote said. “We’ve had a lot of success with funding increases.”