Louisiana Tech conducts research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Louisiana Tech is one of fewer than 50 comprehensive research universities in the nation and the only university in Louisiana to be designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Research and a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and Research by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Also, the FAA named Louisiana Tech to the National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The university is known for its engineering and science programs.