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August 19, 2002 Volume 27, Issue 3 |
The first Mississippi-made Nissan will not roll off the assembly line until next May, but Mississippi State engineers already have been on the job to assist with design-to-production processes.
From reducing product design time to improving passenger safety and developing alternative power systems, research at Mississippi State will have a major impact on an industry that ultimately will employ more than 5,000 in the Canton area, said Interim President J. Charles Lee.
"We often talk about the total amounts of research contracts and grants," he said. "It's important to remember that the impact of those dollars invested in Mississippi State's research program is felt in every county of our state."
MSU recently reported a total of $123 million in research contracts and grants for the fiscal year ending June 30, along with an additional $17 million in federal support for student financial aid.
The funding included 1,576 sponsored projects, up from 1,468 the previous year.
"Our goal through research is to improve opportunities for Mississippi and for every citizen of our state," Lee said. "It's our mission as a land-grant institution."
As another example, he noted agriculture and forestry management are taking a dramatic leap into the technological age with Mississippi State remote sensing research, which earned $11 million in research funding last year.
MSU currently ranks 57th among public universities in total research and development expenditures, which include all funds used in the operation of a research project. It ranks fifth in agricultural expenditures and 34th in engineering expenditures.
The university recently moved to the No. 10 spot among U.S. universities for its supercomputing power, primarily due to the capabilities of its Engineering Research Center.
A recent three-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is allowing researchers to lay the groundwork for a biomedical computing research center at the university.
"These projects are dramatic examples of the power of research," said Lee, noting that Mississippi State's research awards in the last fiscal year included more than 1,500 sponsored projects and major funding from the U.S. departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and NASA.