Contact: Maridith Geuder
Major research and education projects at Mississippi State brought $143 million in externally funded contracts and grants to the university in FY 2002-03.
More than 25 projects in fields ranging from the sociology of rural health to automotive engineering were funded at more than $1 million each. The largest awards included $5.2 million from the Department of Defense for a high-performance computing center; $2 million from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for remote sensing research related to agriculture, forestry and transportation; and $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for aquaculture research.
Other major funding sources included the federal departments of Energy, Commerce, Education, and Health and Human Services, as well as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Office of Naval Research.
The State of Mississippi is providing support for the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, which includes a primary research facility in Starkville and an engineering extension center at the Nissan automobile plant near Canton. Now under construction, both are scheduled to open this fall.
Contracts and grants for research and development totaled $126.3 million, up from $123 million the previous year. In addition, the university was awarded $17.2 million for educational programs, including federally sponsored scholarships.
"Mississippi State continues to attract major federal and state support for projects that have a direct impact on the future of Mississippi and the region," said Jonathan W. Pote, interim vice president for research.
"By securing external funding, our faculty members leverage state dollars, provide a dynamic learning environment for students, and address issues of economic and social significance for all citizens," Pote said.