DES MOINES – Iowa’s two largest public universities collected more than $650 million in grants and contracts for research, education and other services last fiscal year, according to figures released Wednesday.

Drawing a record $382.2 million, the University of Iowa led the way in state, federal and corporate grants and contracts. The 2007 total marked a 4.8 percent increase over 2006. That’s when the university collected $366.4 million, up 1.7 percent from the previous year.

Last fiscal year, which ended June 30, was the sixth consecutive year that the school passed the one-third-billion dollar research funding mark, the university said in a news release.

The news out of Iowa State University wasn’t as good, with the university experiencing a 2.8 percent decrease from 2006, collecting $272 million in contracts, grants and cooperative agreements.

John Brighton, Iowa State’s vice president for research and development, said research funding is increasingly competitive.

“We must continue to be aggressive in the pursuit of research and funding and support of faculty in these activities,” he said in a statement. “These funds help Iowa State accomplish its mission of creating, sharing and applying knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.”

The state’s other public university, the University of Northern Iowa, had not released its figures on external grants and contracts by early Wednesday afternoon.