External support of more than $20 million is expected to go into infrastructure and specialized faculty positions at Mississippi State as the university gears up to support a planned Nissan Motor Co. plant near Canton.

The state's proposed incentive package that helped attract the giant automaker also includes $3.6 million a year in annually recurring funds that will support university research and outreach activities.

Mississippi State officials including representatives of the College of Engineering and the National Science Foundation/MSU Engineering Research Center played a key role in negotiations leading to Nissan's choice of a Mississippi site, said university President Malcolm Portera.

"This state owes Wayne Bennett, Don Trotter, Brad Carter, and our support staff an extraordinary amount of credit for this accomplishment," Portera added. Bennett is dean of engineering; Trotter, ERC director; and Carter, associate provost for information services.

Exact details of how the Nissan-related investments at MSU are to be used will be worked out in conjunction with the company.

Tentative plans are to use state funds to establish a Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems on the main campus. The $9 million center will draw heavily on the capabilities of the Engineering Research Center and will provide computing equipment, analytical equipment, fabrication equipment, and testing facilities.

The university also will establish a $6 million Engineering Extension Center near the plant site. High-speed telecommunications and Internet links will connect the MSU campus, the Engineering Extension Center near Nissan, and Holmes and Hinds community colleges, which will provide worker training for the company.

MSU also is working with Jackson State University to develop plans for cooperative efforts in support of the project.

With about 2,700 engineering students at the bachelor's through doctoral levels and about 120 engineering faculty, Mississippi State is prepared to provide a steady stream of technically competent graduates and consulting expertise to Nissan and other companies, Portera said. The university has averaged about 470 engineering graduates a year in recent years.