About the Experiment Station
Mission. The Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station conducts organized research in the biological, physical and social sciences; contributes to the advancement of all Iowa's agricultural industry; and improves the economic and social condition of Iowa's families and communities.
History. Established in 1888, the Experiment Station fulfilled a Congressional charge for land-grant universities to develop organizations that advance science to address immediate and long-term needs of the citizens of their states. Over its history, the Experiment Station has supported hundreds of Iowa State innovators, including George Washington Carver, great innovator of agricultural and horticultural crops; Elizabeth Hoyt, creator of the Consumer Price Index; Jay Lush, father of modern genetics for animal breeding; Earl Heady, internationally renowned policy researcher; Paul Errington, pioneering naturalist and animal ecologist; Griffith Buck, developer of more than 85 roses; James Olson, leading vitamin A researcher on applications for world nutrition; and John V. Atanasoff, designer of the first electronic digital computer.
Budget: Experiment Station research is the result of cooperation among many ISU departments and colleges, as well as other state experiment stations. The Experiment Station supports the efforts of faculty and staff in nearly 35 departments, centers and programs. Although the work primarily focuses on areas in the College of Agriculture, the Experiment Station also supports research in other ISU colleges. In FY05, the College of Agriculture administered $85.5 million in Experiment Station research expenditures. Grants and contracts comprised 46 percent of the total; state appropriations, 36 percent; and other sources, 18 percent. The Experiment Station ranks 6th among all state experiment stations in total grant expenditures and 15th in state appropriations.
Research Reputation. Iowa State is the 5th most-cited university in the world for agricultural sciences, thanks to the support and scope of research through the Experiment Station. Research encompasses work in plant and animal production, protection and health; soil and water conservation; molecular biology and biotechnology; processing, distributing, safety, marketing and utilization of food and agricultural products; forestry; human nutrition; rural and community development; sustainable agriculture; and other areas.
Priorities. Current priorities include biorenewables, plant and animal genomics, environmental stewardship, human health and wellness, food safety and security, and producer competitiveness and profitability.
Connected to Education. Experiment Station resources allow Iowa State to attract first-class faculty who take on major research and teaching responsibilities. The majority of Experiment Station faculty hold teaching appointments, bringing professional research experience into the classroom and enriching student learning and career training. Each year, hundreds of graduate students work on Experiment Station assistantships with faculty and complete theses and dissertations. Graduate students also gain meaningful teaching experience, instructing more than 2,000 students in 100 sections of undergraduate biology. The Experiment Station is a major supporter of several interdepartmental graduate programs, including genetics and toxicology. The Experiment Station supports laboratories and research farms used by thousands of undergraduates, providing opportunities for hands-on involvement in research addressing real problems.
Connected to Extension. The relationship of the Experiment Station and ISU Extension typifies Iowa State's commitment to “Science with Practice.” Mission-oriented research has been the hallmark of the Experiment Station and ISU Extension, with its statewide network, has been the primary conduit for transferring the fruit of science and technology to Iowans. In the College of Agriculture, faculty with extension appointments work with 49 extension field specialists to conduct applied research, demonstrate results and provide education. Through Extension, Iowans provide direct feedback to shape Experiment Station research.
Connected to Economic Development. Nationwide, state experiment station research and development has a huge economic impact. Public investment in agricultural research has meant a 50 percent annual return to society from 1970-2000. In Iowa, Experiment Station research provides science-based information used by producers, businesses and communities to make daily management and business decisions and address emerging problems. Also, discoveries based on Experiment Station resources are a key reason why ISU is one of the nation's top universities in technology transfer. Sixty-eight percent of ISU's FY04 active patent disclosures link to Experiment Station research. Nearly 150 plant germplasm licenses were executed in FY04, for a total of 749 active licenses.
Technology Transfer. Recent examples include: collaboration with an Iowa cooperative on technology to produce ingredients for soy-based adhesives; testing new oil-extraction technologies with Iowa firms to make products suited for high value-added soybean markets; swine genome research that led to licensing a genetic marker likely to improve meat quality in nearly 40 percent of U.S. swine herds; a natural weed-control product for horticulture that is one of ISU's most actively licensed patents; economics research that retooled risk-management insurance products that have been put to use by insurers to provide $14.8 billion in U.S. crop protection, $3.5 billion in Iowa crop protection and $38 million of coverage for Iowa livestock; testing of healthier soybean oils may help food companies address potentially unhealthy trans fat problems in products; a more precise fertilizer application system was a technology award winner and has been licensed.
