External funding for Iowa State has increased for fiscal year 2012, according to the office for economic development.

The funding rose to a total of more than $360 million, up from $342 million last year. The money comes to the university from federal and state government as well as private companies and even other universities.

The three largest amounts came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. A lot of the increase came from efforts of faculty, according to Sharron Quisenberry, vice president for research and economic development.

“We did an excellent job obtaining some competitive grants that will last for four or five years, … which was a result of grant writing workshops and networking we have been focusing on,” Quisenberry said. She also noted that while the largest amounts were from the agriculture and energy departments, the effort was multidisciplinary.

Iowa State also receives money from other universities and colleges. “Sometimes a school gets a grant for something, but they don’t have an expert in that subject. So they will ask other universities to help out.” Quisenberry said. That amount is higher for Iowa State than in the previous year by nearly $19 million.

The total amount of funding was up this year from last, but was short of the record set in 2010. That year the amount was $388 million and was higher because of federal stimulus money.