John Deere has supported many research projects at Iowa State's Digital Ag Innovation Lab, including studies of seed depth at planting. Iowa State University/Ryan Riley.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University raised a total of $487.9 million in external funding for the 2026 fiscal year, of that total $254.6 million is sponsored research funding dedicated to studies of ag tech, women’s health, semiconductors and many other projects. 

Overall, funding for the fiscal year that ended June 30 is down 11.2% from the previous year and research funding is down 22.8%.

Some of those declines reflect a drop in federal research support from agencies such as the U.S. National Science Foundation. Total federal research funding for the 2026 fiscal year was $167.1 million, a drop of 30.4% from the previous year’s total of $240.1 million.

“This has been a period of disruption and uncertainty for most, if not all, land-grant and R1 research universities across the country,” said Peter Dorhout, Iowa State’s vice president for research. “At Iowa State, we don’t shrink from the moment. Our research enterprise is sustained by our faculty and staff who tackle these challenges head-on with perseverance, resilience and resourcefulness.”

Iowa State researchers, for example, submitted 1,999 new research proposals during the 2026 fiscal year, more submissions than any of the past five fiscal years. Research funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grew year over year, to $30.6 million and $17.9 million respectively, increases of 24.7% and 1.8%. And research support from corporate and industry sources increased, jumping by $10.6 million to $32.8 million.

External funding supports initiatives across campus, including research projects, academic support, scholarships and facility improvements. The funding can include contracts, grants and cooperative agreements from federal, state and local governments. It also includes funds from individuals, corporations, nonprofits and other universities. While external funding supports research operating expenses, it does not support operating expenses related to the university’s educational mission.

Ag tech, women’s health, semiconductors, science ed and a poultry vaccine

Here are five examples of external funds supporting research projects during fiscal year 2026:

• The Digital Ag Innovation Lab, led by Matt Darr, the John Deere Endowed Chair in Agricultural Innovation, is home to more than two dozen research projects supported by John Deere, including studies of sensor technologies and control systems.
• Wesley Lefferts, an associate professor of kinesiology and health, is leading a study to determine whether menopause sets off changes in the brain and blood vessels that could help explain why women face higher risks of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease as they age. The National Institutes of Health has awarded the project a two-year grant of $405,155.
• Esmat Farzana, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is studying how semiconductors can continue operating even when exposed to intense radiation. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is supporting the project with a three-year, $599,049 grant.
• Kristina Maruyama Tank, an associate professor of education, is part of a project to improve rural elementary education for science, technology, engineering and math. The Midwest Alliance for Rural Elementary Science, which is funded by the National Science Foundation through a grant to the University of Northern Iowa, has awarded the Iowa State contribution a five-year, $558,278 grant.
• Balaji Narasimhan – Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, the Vlasta Klima Balloun Faculty Chair and director of the Nanovaccine Institute – is leading a team developing a nanoparticle vaccine to protect poultry from avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is supporting the work with a three-year, $2 million grant.

The history

The recent history of external funding totals:

FY26, $487.9 million

FY25, $549.3 million

FY24, $544.6 million

FY23, $530.5 million

FY22, $601.7 million

FY21, $559.1 million

FY20, $494.7 million

FY19, $469 million

FY18, $509.2 million

FY17, $503.6 million

FY16, $425.8 million

FY15, $424.9 million

FY14, $368.4 million

FY13, $326.4 million

FY12, $360.2 million

FY11, $342.3 million

FY10, $388.2 million

Contacts

Peter Dorhout, Vice President for Research, dorhout@iastate.edu, 515-294-1785

Dan Kirkpatrick, Office of the Vice President for Research, dank@iastate.edu, 515-294-6257

Mike Krapfl, News Service, mkrapfl@iastate.edu, 515-294-4917