Contact: Bob Ratliff
Resources designed to meet the demands of today's technology are bringing Mississippi State research funding to an all-time high.
University research contracts and grants climbed to a record $112 million during the fiscal year ending June 30. An 18 percent increase over the previous year, the funding included 1,468 sponsored projects, up from 1,300 the previous year.
The significant increase "reflects the commitment of MSU faculty members to seeking research funding that addresses the needs not only of Mississippi, but the region and beyond," said Robert A. Altenkirch, vice president for research. "Research areas with direct economic benefits for Mississippi include remote sensing, electronics, biotechnology, and computational engineering, among others."
Earlier this year, Mississippi State moved to 58th among public universities in total research and development expenditures, which include all funds used in the operation of a research project. A university goal is to rank in the nation's top 50 public research universities, as reported by the National Science Foundation.
The 2001 funding includes a portion of the first year of an eight-year, $108 million United States Department of Defense contract for high-performance computing research. MSU is the lead institution of a university-industry team contract, one of DOD's largest ever.
"The purpose of the program is to bring top-level university research talent together to work side-by-side with Defense scientists and research engineers to increase their productivity," said Joe Thompson, the MSU Giles Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering who is team leader. "Without top talent, you couldn't possibly win a contract like this."
Other research projects draw on the expertise of faculty and students in a variety of disciplines, including a:
--Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant establishing the Rural Health, Safety and Security Institute on campus to study the health and safety of rural Americans. MSU's Social Science Research Center and the departments of psychology and sociology, anthropology and social work are partners in this effort.
--Department of Energy-funded project to produce alternative fuels, conducted by scientists in the MSU departments of chemical engineering and biological sciences and at other state universities.
--College of Veterinary Medicine study on the impact of flea control products on humans for the Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition to federal grants, industry and non-profit foundations and agencies also funded projects totaling more than $14 million during FY2001.
"The quality and variety of expertise available have positioned the university to continue these types of high-level research projects," Altenkirch said. "This will enable MSU to continue to rise in the ranks of universities recognized for research strengths."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information, telephone Dr. Altenkirch at (662) 325-3570.