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College of Engineering passes $200 million in research expenditures

researcher in lab

The College of Engineering posted more than $200 million in research expenditures in budget year 2016-17, placing NC State Engineering in elite company among engineering schools in the United States.

The College had $206,369,918 in research expenditures in 16-17, an increase of $17,409,803 from the fiscal year 2015-16 total of $188,960,115.

According to the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), only seven engineering schools posted more than $200 million in research spending in the previous year, fiscal 2015-16. Those schools were Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Texas A&M University, Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University.

NC State ranked 10th among engineering schools in research expenditures in the United States in 15-16, according to ASEE, and seventh among public colleges of engineering.

ASEE has not posted expenditure totals for 16-17.

The College leads or is heavily involved in 24 national centers, institutes and laboratories and leads two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers (ERC). NC State is one of only two schools in the United States currently leading two ERCs and one of only two schools to ever be awarded the lead role in three ERCs.

The Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems Center (FREEDM) is developing a next-generation power grid that allows bi-directional flow and integrates renewable energy sources. The Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) is making wearable, self-powered health-monitoring systems.

The College and NC State are also:

  • The lead institution in the Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities, a National Nuclear Security Administration effort to develop the next generation of technologies and leaders in the field of nuclear nonproliferation.
  • The lead institution in PowerAmerica, a National Manufacturing Innovation Institution (NMII) that is furthering the development of wide-bandgap semiconductor-based power electronics.
  • The Southeast lead institution in the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute, an NMII that will advance national manufacturing across several industry sectors.
  • A member of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, a Department of Energy hub working to improve the operation and safety of the current generation of light water nuclear reactors.
  • Home of one of four National Security Administration Science of Security Lablets, which are conducting research on cybersecurity.
  • A partner in the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, an NMII that is working to accelerate U.S. innovation in biopharmaceuticals.

Return to contents or download the Spring/Summer 2018 NC State Engineering magazine (PDF, 3MB) along with the insert about Fitts-Woolard Hall (PDF, 479KB).

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