Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥敶笙驛PP鈥檚 research and development efforts continue to reach record heights as MSU reported $280 million in R&D expenditures in Fiscal Year 2020, placing it among the National Science Foundation鈥檚 top 90 research universities.
The land-grant institution鈥檚 research expenditures ranks No. 88 nationally, up four spots from No. 92 in FY 2019, in the latest NSF Higher Education Research and Development Report. With $280.4 million in expenditures, MSU accounts for 55.4 percent of Mississippi鈥檚 total R&D expenditures ($506.6 million). MSU now ranks No. 59 among public universities as it moves toward a long-term goal of being a top 50 public university nationally. MSU鈥檚 6 percent increase in research expenditures from FY 2019 is well above the national average of a 3.3 percent increase.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 NSF survey affirms what I have seen throughout my tenure as president鈥擬SU is a force for research and innovation in Mississippi and beyond,鈥 said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. 鈥淢SU researchers are making a difference in our state and our world and putting our students at the leading edge of their fields. Our research also supports vital Mississippi economic sectors such as agriculture, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, autonomous technologies and more.鈥
MSU鈥檚 research enterprise contributes to the university鈥檚 $1.8 billion annual economic impact in Mississippi by employing more than 4,000 research personnel, creating opportunities for spin-off and start-up companies, and attracting private sector partners in key industries. MSU also holds the R1 鈥淰ery High Research Activity鈥 designation from the Carnegie Foundation, as well as the 鈥淚nnovation and Economic Prosperity University鈥 designation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, recognizing MSU鈥檚 work to advance engagement and economic well-being.
In the latest report from NSF, MSU boasts 32 top 100 rankings in a wide range of fields and subfields, including ranking No. 14 in agriculture, No. 19 in industrial and manufacturing engineering, and No. 19 in social sciences, which leads the SEC for the ninth consecutive year.
Mississippi 大象APP鈥檚 research funding comes from a wide range of sources, including business and industry, trade groups, local governments, state offices and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, Federal Aviation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others.
鈥淚t is exciting to see our strong momentum continue as our research expenditures have grown for the seventh consecutive year,鈥 said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. 鈥淲e have made a concerted effort to give our faculty and staff the tools and resources they need to compete for funding and carry out their work, and our external partners continue to see great value in the innovative research carried out at MSU.
鈥淏eyond the dollars and cents, it is inspiring to witness the innovation taking place every day on our campus. Our researchers are addressing critical problems, developing technologies that will improve our lives in the years to come, and providing students with abundant opportunities to participate in world-class research.鈥
In the latest NSF survey, MSU ranked in the top 100 of the following disciplines and subdisciplines:
- Engineering: 55
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering: 22
- Chemical Engineering: 52
- Civil Engineering: 80
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering: 75
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 19
- Mechanical Engineering: 23
- Other Engineering: 45
- Geosciences, Atmospheric Sciences, and Ocean Sciences: 48
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology: 48
- Ocean and Marine Sciences: 56
- Geological and Earth Sciences: 25
- Other Geosciences: 99
- Life Sciences:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources and Conservation: 15
- Agriculture Only: 14
- Natural Resources and Conservation Only: 13
- Mathematics and Statistics: 38
- Physical Science Fields:
- Chemistry: 90
- Materials Science: 41
- Other Physical Sciences: 92聽
- Social Sciences: 19
- Anthropology: 59
- Economics: 82
- Political Science and Government: 59
- Sociology, Demography, and Population Studies: 8
- Other Social Sciences: 18
- Other Sciences: 18
- Non-Science and Engineering Fields: 94
- Business Management and Business Administration: 43
- Communication and Communications Technologies: 64
- Education: 82
- Humanities: 76
- Visual and Performing Arts: 67
MSU researchers are working with students on worldwide challenges such as food security, solutions to human diseases, social and economic disparity, and cybersecurity. The university is home to centers and institutes that are leaders in areas such as aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, unmanned aircraft systems, agriculture, data analytics, and social sciences, among other areas. For more, visit .
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .