Kansas University ranked higher than ever among public universities in federal research funding in the most recent edition of an annual survey, KU announced Tuesday.

KU’s federally funded research rose to a record $162.7 million in the 2011 fiscal year, or roughly the 2010-11 academic year. That’s the most recent data reported by the survey, which is conducted by the National Science Foundation and lags behind by one fiscal year.

That ranked 75th overall in the country and 39th among public institutions, making it the first time KU has ranked in the top 40.

That figure includes research on KU’s Lawrence campus and at the KU Medical Center. It ranks second among Big 12 universities, behind the University of Texas at Austin and affiliated medical institutions.

Steve Warren, KU’s vice chancellor for research and graduate studies, said in a release that KU researchers could be proud of the ranking but also expressed fears that the federal budget sequester and possible state funding cuts could damage KU’s research capabilities in the future.