Wichita State Tops NSF Aerospace R&D Rankings

Wichita State University said it is a top performer in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey, reporting $392 million in research expenditures in the latest results, a 7% increase from the prior year’s $366 million. 

Wichita State attributed its rise in the rankings to its National Institute for Aviation Research, citing programs including Missile Defense Agency Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, the U.S. Air Force B-1 BackBONE, and the Survivable Airborne Operations Center effort.

In the NSF field-by-field rankings, Wichita State reported ranking first in aerospace engineering research and development across all funding sources, totaling $350 million. The university also reported a number-two ranking in industry- and defense-funded engineering R&D at $283 million, and a number-nine ranking in engineering R&D from all funding sources at $360 million.

“The dedication and expertise of our researchers make these rankings possible,” Wichita State president Rick Muma said. “Our consistent performance in research rankings continues to attract top talent and strategic partnerships to our university and state, continuing to position Wichita State as an economic driver for the state.”