Between FY 1996 and FY 1997, Mississippi received a substantial increase in federal R&D funds. In FY 1996, Mississippi received $251 million dollars in federal funds to rank 33rd among all states and the District of Columbia. In FY 1997, Mississippi's allocation increased to $329 million advancing the state to 28th place (see Mississippi Table). This amounts to 0.5 percent of total federal R&D spending.

NASA and DOD together account for 71 percent of federal R&D funds in Mississippi. DOD leads the way with an allocation of $121 million in 1997 followed closely by NASA's $113 million contribution. DOD's funding increased $26 million or 27 percent from FY 1996 and NASA's went up $39 million or 52 percent from 1996.

The primary performer of federal funds for R&D in the state are the federal laboratories, receiving $176 million in FY 1997. DOD is the primary contributor to the labs with $79 million followed by NASA ($45 million) and the USDA ($39 million).

The bulk of DOD's contribution goes to the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES). WES is the largest Civil Engineering and Environmental Quality R&D complex in the United States. WES conducts R&D with both civil and military applications and the complex consists of five laboratories concentrating on environmental, geotechnical, structures, information technology, and coastal engineering R&D. The WES complex also houses the Centrifuge Research Center, a DOD High Performance Computing Center, and the Tri-Service Computer Aided Design Drafting and Geographic Information System Technology Center.

Mississippi is also home to the John C. Stennis Space Center where most of NASA's R&D in the state is conducted. In addition, Stennis receives funds from DOD, NOAA, EPA, as well as some universities. Stennis is NASA's prime installation for testing large rocket engines and propulsion systems, and also houses the Earth Resources Laboratory and the Space Remote Sensing Center. Stennis is also home to the U.S. Navy's Meteorology and Oceanography Command. This Naval Research Center's main focus is research on the effect of weather and the environment on naval operations.

USDA, in affiliation with Mississippi State University, runs two major laboratories in Mississippi through its Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The first is the Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, specializing in areas such as catfish genetics, entomology, agriculture engineering, and soybean production. The Center is named after the late Representative Jamie Whitten, former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. The second facility is their National Sedimentation Laboratory which conducts research on soil erosion, water quality problems, and soil conservation.

Industry is second in terms of performance of federal R&D in Mississippi. Of the $99 million allocated to industry in FY 1997, $63 million came from NASA, $35 million from the DOD, and the Department of Commerce contributed the remaining $1 million.

The Institute for Technology Development in conjunction with Stennis performs R&D in the commercial applications of satellite remote sensing technology. In addition, the Institute has two subsidiaries, ProMatura Group, L.L.C. and Advanced Microelectronics Division, that perform R&D on human factors research, and integrated circuits and software respectively.

Other notable industry R&D performers include Hercules, Inc.'s Hattiesburg Plant Laboratory that conducts basic and applied research in papermaking chemicals, tall oil distillation, and spe-cialty chemicals. Chem First, Inc, conducts R&D in high margin chemical intermediates and application research in polymer additives. Mississippi is also home to Sunbeam Consumer Products Worldwide and Worldcom, Inc.

University performance of R&D in Mississippi totaled $45 million in FY 1997, the lowest of all the Gulf States. Most of these funds were split between Mississippi State University ($26 million) and the University of Mississippi ($14 million).

Mississippi State University (MSU), a land-grant institution, ranks 96th in total R&D funding. It is a leader in computer graphics and computational engineering. MSU is home to one of the National Science Foundation's twenty-one Engineering Research Centers. The Engineering Research Center at MSU specializes in computational field simulation for the design of aircraft. MSU also has the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory that helps design aircraft prototypes; the High Voltage Laboratory, the largest of its kind in the United States that conducts R&D on electricity. In addition, it is home to a DOE funded Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Center Program designed to help area manufacturers conserve energy and reduce costs.

Jackson State University, a leader in graduating minority science and technology professionals, also boasts a substantial R&D base. The university hosts the Army's High Performance Computing Research Center and contains the state's only Center for Technology Transfer. It was also one of the first universities to participate in the EPA's program to conduct environmental comparative risk studies in urban communities. The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Laboratory is a joint project with NOAA to study weather patterns in the region.