Wichita State University is aiming big in the area of drone research , and a large donation has it on its way toward building a new facility for those efforts.

On Monday, WSU announced Lynn and Sherry Nichols have given $1 million to the university to launch the fundraising campaign for the state-of-the-art Shocker Fly Lab , which will provide an enclosed flight space to research, design and test unmanned aerial vehicles.

The lab will be located on WSU's Innovation Campus near the Hub for Advanced Materials Research and the John Bardo Center. It will "foster collaboration and innovation between students, faculty and Innovation Campus partners, along with the National Institute for Aviation Research, to develop, test and refine advanced drone systems in a real-world environment," the university said.

"This project is something Sherry and I were interested in supporting from the moment we heard about it," said Lynn Nichols, retired chairman and CEO of Wichita-based Yingling Aviation, in a news release about the lead gift for the project . "We have watched first-hand as the aerospace industry has grown and shifted with new technologies, and this project will ensure Wichita State students are receiving a future-focused aerospace education."

Shocker Fly Lab, which does not yet have a timeline, is set to be a two-phase project and cost $12.75 million. WSU says the lab will be funded entirely through private gifts.

The initial, $4.3-million phase will feature a 100 feet by 200 feet net-enclosed open-air facility with a 30- to 35-foot high steel structure.

Along with providing hands-on learning experiences for WSU College of Engineering students, plans call for the Shocker Fly Lab to support industry-sponsored student competitions and faculty research in drone technology.

There will be an outdoor area for spectators to observe testing and competition along with a covered entry canopy for shelter from weather conditions, the university said.

"The Shocker Fly Lab will be a game-changer for Wichita State, providing a dynamic space where students, faculty and industry partners can come together to push the boundaries of drone technology," WSU president Rick Muma said. "This facility will fuel cutting-edge research and applied learning and drive real-world innovation in aerospace and autonomous systems. Thanks to the generosity of Lynn and Sherry Nichols, we’re creating a hub where ideas can quite literally take flight."

Shocker Fly Lab marks the latest chapter in WSU's work on UAV, or drone, research. That includes multiple contract awards from the U.S. Air Force , the university receiving grant funding in the past from the Federal Aviation Administration to study drone safety, and continued innovative research at NIAR .