Wichita State has once again been ranked the top university in the country for industry-funded aeronautical engineering research and development (R&D).

The new rankings were released by the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development survey, compiled by its National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. It includes information from all reporting universities for fiscal year 2016, when Wichita State reported $31 million in industry-funded aerospace R&D.

That's well ahead of the $7 million reported by second-ranked Georgia Institute for Technology.

For universities doing a significant amount of engineering R&D, WSU is second in the nation in the percent of engineering research and development funding provided by industry.

For total aerospace R&D funding, WSU ranked No. 4 in the nation – and No. 1 in Kansas – at $43 million.

Wichita State also ranked No. 6 in the U.S. for industry-funded engineering R&D, again landing in the top spot in the state.

And in terms of funding as a percentage of all R&D, Wichita State finished No. 7 in the country, with 50 percent of its funds coming from industry.

R&D is an important part of driving innovation within a university. University research efforts can lead to increased industry collaboration, technology transfer and/or commercialization, all of which increase university funding and drive the economy.

“Wichita State has made strategic efforts to increase industry partnerships and collaboration and gain additional federal grants – solidifying our reputation as the top engineering research institution in the state and among the nation's top 10," said John Tomblin, vice president for research and technology transfer. “We commend the efforts of Wichita State students, faculty and staff. Their continued dedication to fulfilling the university's mission as an applied research university is essential to the success of the university, city, region and state.”