AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University attracted $272 million in grants, contracts and cooperative agreements during fiscal year 2007.
The funding supports research projects across campus, including a research program established by ConocoPhillips. The international energy company's research program at Iowa State is dedicated to developing technologies that create biorenewable fuels.
A total of $1.75 million from ConocoPhillips' eight-year, $22.5 million research program was received during the fiscal year ending June 30. Because of the way the research program was established, the company's grants will be counted on a year-by-year basis as research projects are funded. Typically, Iowa State counts full funding for multi-year grants in the first year of a project.
The $272 million is a 2.8 percent decrease from the $280 million Iowa State attracted in fiscal year 2006. The university attracted a record $287 million in fiscal year 2005. Iowa State first topped $200 million in external funding during fiscal year 2000 when the university attracted $211.2 million.
"Research funding is increasingly competitive," said John Brighton, Iowa State's vice president for research and economic development. "We must continue to be aggressive in the pursuit of research funding and support of faculty in these activities. These funds help Iowa State accomplish its mission of creating, sharing and applying knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place."
The $272 million Iowa State attracted last fiscal year includes all contracts and grants sent directly to Iowa State from federal, state and local governments as well as from corporations, foundations and other universities. The external funding is used for research, extension activities, educational projects, student financial aid, buildings and equipment.
Federal agencies supported Iowa State with $157.8 million. That includes $42 million from the Department of Agriculture, $31.2 million from the Department of Energy (primarily to support the department's Ames Laboratory on the Iowa State campus), $21.5 million from the Department of Education, $21 million from the National Science Foundation, $18 million from the Department of Health and Human Services, $11.4 million from the Department of Defense and $5.4 million from the Department of Transportation.
Iowa State also received $37.1 million from state, county and city agencies; $34.6 million from foundations and associations; and $27.5 million from businesses and corporations.