AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University attracted $274 million in grants, contracts and cooperative agreements during fiscal year 2008, an increase of $2.2 million over the previous year. The funding is in addition to the fiscal year 2008 state appropriation of $267 million for the university's day-to-day operations.
"This increase in external support validates the work of our faculty, staff and students," said Iowa State President Gregory Geoffroy. "In an increasingly competitive environment for grants and contracts, it's encouraging that we are attracting more funding. This external support is vital to the university's work to create, share and apply knowledge. It's how the university advances research programs, acquires sophisticated tools and supports graduate students."
The external funding supports research across campus as well as educational projects, student financial aid, buildings, equipment and extension activities. It comes directly to Iowa State from federal, state and local government sources as well as from corporations, foundations and other universities.
Iowa State's biggest single source of external funding is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Iowa State attracted $42.2 million from the agriculture department last fiscal year.
Total funding from corporations and commodity groups this year was $35.2 million, a record high for Iowa State. The previous high was $32.5 million in fiscal year 1999.
"This record high fulfills an intentional and intense effort to increase corporate sponsorship of research," said Ted Okiishi, Iowa State's interim vice president for research and economic development. "Industry related research demands practical scholarship and often results in economic development and significant benefits to the lives of many."
Iowa State's external funding came from the following sources during the fiscal year that ended June 30:
SOURCE
Federal- Agriculture, $42,213,501
- Energy, $31,246,121
- Health and Human Services, $20,920,178
- National Science Foundation, $19,819,541
- Education, $18,158,158
- Defense, $6,864,485
- Transportation, $4,467,466
- National Aeronautics and Space Admin., $2,675,827
- Commerce, $1,976,971
- Interior, $294,953
- Environmental Protection Agency, $284,807
- Other, $2,679,517
- State, County and City Government, $30,803,746
- Foundations and Associations, $39,194,147
- Businesses/Corporations/Commodities, $35,229,610
- Universities and Colleges, $12,694,886
- Other, $4,613,320
