Montana State University sets new research record at $257M

First day of classes at Montana State University in Bozeman. (Provided by MSU for the Daily Montanan)

Montana State University announced Thursday it set a new annual record for research expenditures at $257 million, a 12% increase over the previous year and the sixth year of growth in research spending.

In a news release, MSU said the number of faculty leading studies also increased by 6% to 445 in the most recent fiscal year, 2024, which ended June 30.

MSU, the state’s largest public university, said the funds contribute to scientific discovery, rural outreach, scholastic pursuits and hands-on opportunities for students, including undergraduates.

“This continuing, positive trajectory of research expenditures and advancements in scholarship reflects the extraordinary talent and creativity of our faculty,” said Bob Mokwa, MSU’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, in a statement. “We’re equally proud of the many students who contribute to this success, advancing meaningful discoveries while gaining hands-on experience that enriches their education and sharpens their problem-solving skills.”

MSU estimated its research funds support 837 undergraduate students and 681 graduate students.

The expansion in research was one of MSU’s goals in its 2019 strategic plan, called “Choosing Promise.” MSU said it reached its goal to surpass $200 million in research in 2022, two years ahead of its timeline.

“MSU’s research enterprise is larger than all public and private universities in the state combined,” MSU said in the news release.

Based in Bozeman, the university received grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force Research Lab, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other funders.

It outlined a sampling of future research topics as well, which include a grant to study ways to use living materials to reduce the building industry’s reliance on cement and concrete; funds to elevate Indigenous health knowledge to reduce chronic disease; and research related to arsenic detoxification.

In the most recent fiscal year, the university said total funds awarded in 2024 — as opposed to spent — also went up. They went from $166 million to $207 million, a 25% increase, MSU said.

Among MSU’s colleges, the College of Agriculture reported the most in research expenditures at $54.1 million, followed by the College of Letters and Science at $32 million, and the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering at $25 million, according to the news release.

Other organizations on campus that led spending include MilTech, which accelerates the transition of new technologies to the U.S. government, with $44.6 million, the Western Transportation Institute with $4.4 million, and the Center for American Indian Rural Health Equity with $3.7 million.

MSU said 90% of its research expenditures came from competitively awarded funds provided by federal agencies, and the remaining 10% came from private sources and from the state.