Iowa State receives $254.6 million in external research funding in FY2026

For the fiscal year that closed June 30, 2026, Iowa State University saw a noticeable shift in its research funding as the federal funding landscape continued to evolve over the past 12 months. After attracting more than $300 million in external sponsored research funds each of the past three fiscal years, the institution brought in $254.6 million in FY26, down $75.3 million or 22.8% compared to the $329.9 million Iowa State received in FY25.

The university received $167.1 million in federal research funding – down $73 million or 30.4% compared to the $240.1 million in FY25. Funding from non-federal sources remained relatively steady – the $87.5 million in FY26 was comparable to the $89.8 million received the previous fiscal year. Support from industry and corporate sponsors saw a robust increase. The $32.8 million from these partners in FY26 was an increase of $10.6 million or 47.5% compared to the amount received in FY25.

Iowa State is certainly not alone in navigating a federal funding landscape of evolving research priorities, agency staff reductions, and lower agency budgets that have contributed to longer project funding-decision timelines, and – in some instances – termination of existing projects.

“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, 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.”

These attributes are displayed in the 1,999 new research proposals (811 federal) that were submitted in FY26 – the most in the any of the past five fiscal years – as well as the new research projects that were awarded funding over the past 12 months. Here is a small sampling of those projects and how they advance key strategic aspirations of the university for the betterment of Iowa and the nation as whole.

Collaborating and innovating with a key industry partner

Year after year, John Deere is one of Iowa State’s most significant non-federal research partners, and that was certainly the case in FY26. The company invested in more than two dozen projects this fiscal year, from research on crop-engaging sensor technologies to control system development to continued enhancements and validation of advanced seeding and crop-spraying technologies. The Digital Ag Innovation Lab, led by Matt Darr, John Deere Endowed Chair in Ag Innovation, is the lead organization on these projects.

The benefits of the Iowa State-John Deere partnership are truly mutual. The wide range of John Deere research projects provide valuable hands-on experience for numerous undergraduate and graduate students, supporting the institution’s strategic aspiration to be the most student-centric leading research university. Not surprisingly, John Deere annually hires more Iowa State graduates than any other company and employs close to 2,000 university alumni worldwide.

Jahmy Hindman, Deere & Company senior vice president and chief technology officer, views Iowa State as a trusted partner for proactive and innovative solutions. The university, he said, “is intentional about investing in understanding our business and customers’ needs. This reduces the effort required to be ‘on the same page’ and organically creates alignments that make our collective work highly efficient. When we collaborate on value-creating opportunities, it’s not uncommon to feel like you can’t tell where Deere ends, and Iowa State begins, and vice versa.”

That seamless collaboration delivers impact to both the company and its customers, Hindman added. “Iowa State has directly contributed to technologies delivered to Deere customers in operations like planting and crop input application. The university has also innovated in providing training on new technologies directly to growers – including John Deere customers – through efforts like Planter University to ensure growers understand how to best utilize the solutions that are appropriate for their farms.”

Gaining greater understanding of aging and brain health in women

Funding from both federal and non-federal sources can be a force multiplier for a research project, as demonstrated by the BRAVA study which is exploring connections between brain and vascular health in women.

Project PI, Wesley Lefferts – associate professor of Kinesiology and Health – received a $300,000 grant from the American Heart Association at the end of the 2025 fiscal year and a two-year award of $405,155 early in FY26 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Historically, brain-aging research has focused primarily on men. The BRAVA study is part of a growing movement to correct this imbalance. Lefferts and his team are exploring the connections between vascular health, brain blood flow, and brain health during the menopause transition.

“Our goal isn’t just to understand what’s happening, but to understand it early enough to intervene,” Lefferts said. “If we can give researchers a possible target for drug and behavioral interventions to improve brain blood flow patterns, we might be able to reduce disease risks for women later in life.”

The BRAVA study also reflects Iowa State’s strategic aspiration to be the most student-centric leading research university. Project team members include Iowa State students, who gain valuable research expertise by helping with assessments and data management, among other tasks.

“Research plays a critical role in how well we understand so many things related to our health, including the aging process, and the opportunity to help manage the BRAVA study is an incredible learning experience,” said Brooke Roberts, a junior in the Integrated Health Sciences program at Iowa State. “I know I will be a stronger and more prepared professional as a result.”

Leveraging AI to unlock the mysteries of electrochemical processes

In July 2025, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Baskar Ganapathysubramanian – mechanical engineer, Iowa State’s Joseph and Elizabeth Anderlik Professor in Engineering, and associate director of the university’s Translational AI Center (TrAC) – $1.15 million to support a five-year project that aligns with Iowa State’s aspiration to be the university that creates opportunities and forges new frontiers.

Ganapathysubramanian and Iowa State colleague Adarsh Krishnamurthy, a professor of mechanical engineering and a TrAC associate director, are teaming up with researchers from Tufts University and Stanford University to transform how scientists simulate electrochemical systems – the processes that power batteries, purify water, enable medical devices, and drive advanced manufacturing. These systems are notoriously hard to model because chemistry, fluid flow, and electric fields interact across vastly different scales.

The multi-institutional team is developing FASTEST, an open‑source framework designed to make high‑fidelity electrochemical modeling fast, scalable, and easy to share. The project tackles major challenges: creating simulations that stay efficient as parameters change; ensuring the tools run on any computing architecture; and building AI‑ready capabilities for massive datasets. Success could accelerate breakthroughs in clean energy, water treatment, and health care by improving performance, lowering costs, and shortening the path from discovery to real‑world technologies.

“Think of this project as building a car,” Ganapathysubramanian said. “The ‘car’ is the open-source software. Most people shouldn’t have to build a car to get where they need to go. They should be able to drive it easily, safely and quickly to their destination. That’s what we’re delivering: a powerful, reliable vehicle for scientists and engineers to test ideas and scale breakthroughs.”

FY26 total external funding

Iowa State received $487.9 million in total external funding during FY26, down 11.2% compared to the $549.3 million in FY25. In addition to research, external funding supports initiatives across campus, including academic support, scholarships, and facility improvements. The funding can include contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements from federal, state and local governments, as well as 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.

FY26 Faculty research recognitions

During the 2025-26 academic year, five Iowa State University research scholars were selected for Faculty Early Career Development Program CAREER awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), recognizing their leadership at the intersection of research, education, and innovation.

The NSF CAREER program is widely regarded as one of the agency’s most prestigious honors, supporting early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional potential as both researchers and educators. This year’s Iowa State recipients reflect the breadth of inquiry across the university, with projects spanning cardiovascular modeling, trustworthy artificial intelligence, safe and decentralized machine learning, and advanced additive manufacturing.

Together, the five awards represent more than $2.6 million in federal support for research that addresses complex, real-world challenges while creating new opportunities for student engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and workforce development.

Iowa State’s CAREER recipients for the 2026 fiscal year are:

• Ping He, assistant professor of Aerospace Engineering
• Mengdi Huai, assistant professor of Computer Science
• Shana Moothedath, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Abhay Bangalore Ramachandra, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering
• Sougata Roy, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering