Increase Your Impact on Research at 世界杯官方app

The Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP) was created by the Legislature in 2009 via Texas Education Code 62.122 to provide matching funds to emerging research universities to leverage private gifts for the enhancement of research productivity and faculty recruitment. 世界杯官方app is one of eight institutions eligible for the program.

student researchers

A TRIP gift is defined as a contribution received by an institution for which the institution has made no commitment of resources or services that provide a direct benefit to the donor other than committing to use the gift as the donor specifies. TRIP matching requests must be submitted within 60 calendar days of deposit of the proceeds of the gift to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

Matching grants are awarded in order of the date of certification until funds are depleted. Institutions report eligible gifts to the Coordinating Board, which facilitates a peer review of all TRIP match requests. 

The size of the match is set in statute (TEC 62.123): 
  • 50% match for gifts between $100,000 and $1 million, 
  • 75% match for gifts between $1 million and $2 million, 
  • 100% match for gifts of $2 million to $10 million. 

Gifts or endowments (minimum of $100,000) certified on or after Sept. 1, 2009 to an eligible public institution from private sources in a state fiscal year for the purpose of enhancing research activities at the institution, including a gift of endowment for endowed chairs, professorships, research facilities, research equipment, research program costs, or graduate research stipends or fellowships or undergraduate research. All gifts, cash and non-cash, must have been originally donated for research purposes. Gifts from a single source totaling $100,000 or more may be bundled.

Gifts for undergraduate scholarships or grants or any portion of a gift in excess of $10M from a single source in a state fiscal year are considered ineligible. Other ineligible gifts include:  

  • Grants or contributions from federal/state or local government  
  • Contracts for services 
  • Grants with deliverables (beyond standard progress reports) 
  • Grants with research results/findings kept confidential 
  • Grants with shared IP of special rights to IP given to funder/grantor 
  • Pledged gifts that have not been realized
  • In-kind gifts or discounts
  • A gift not originally donated for research purposes.

TRIP eligible funds must be used for research enhancing activities for any of the eligible purposes above.  Any expenditures of these funds found to be made inconsistent with research enhancing activities will be repaid to the Texas Higher Coordinating Board within 30 days of notice. 

Expenditures of TRIP eligible gift/grant and or its earnings are subject to audit by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the State Auditor of Texas.  Any Expenditures of the funds found to be made in violation of the eligible use will be repaid to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board within 30 days of violation notice.

During the gift agreement and grant proposals drafting stages Research Services Center staff and Development Officers work with the Endowment and Gift Services staff to determine the TRIP match eligibility of the proposed gift or grant. All payments for TRIP match eligible gift or grant are forwarded to Endowment and Gift Services for special processing and submission.

The following documents are required for a TRIP matching request:

  • Fully completed and signed TRIP Submission application form. 
  • Bank deposit documentation as outlined in the Bank Deposit Policies section. 
  • TRIP Donor Research Restriction agreement form signed by the donor and internal signatory as outlined in the Donor Agreement Policies.  
  • Copy of Donor gift
  • If payment is made on a pledge made prior to June 1, 2019, and a Donor Research Restriction agreement form is not submitted, the following additional documents are required: 
    • Pledge schedule 
    • Donor agreement documentation that was required prior to June 1, 2019, as outlined in the Donor Agreement Policies section.  

Distribution and Return Policies

THECB Distribution of Matching Funds  
Return of Matching Funds  
University Distribution of Matching Funds Policy  

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