What is TRIP?
In 2009, the Texas Legislature established the TRIP match to amplify the impact of private gifts for the enhancement of research productivity and faculty recruitment. TRIP is implemented through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and includes matching funds for endowed chairs and professorships.
The University of Houston is one of eight institutions currently eligible to receive funds through TRIP and the Division of University Advancement works to ensure every qualifying gift made to the University receives TRIP matching.
Only cash gifts are eligible for TRIP matching. Contributions from a government agency are not eligible. Pledges do not qualify, but pledge payments qualify. Gifts-in-kind and gifts of property do not qualify unless they were given originally for the sole purpose of research and sold for cash. Contracts or fees for service are not eligible for TRIP.
A gift, or pledge payment, must be made in a minimum payment of $100,000 and designated for research-related purposes. The distribution of TRIP matching funds is at the discretion of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is not guaranteed for every eligible gift.
Qualifying gift purposes include:
| • Endowed Chairs | • Research Program Cost |
| • Endowed Professorships | • Research Graduate Stipends/Fellowships |
| • Research Facilities | • Undergraduate Research |
| • Research Equipment |
Certain gifts are not TRIP eligible, including:
| • Sponsored Research | • Results/findings confidential |
| • Federal/state-funded | • Shared IP or special rights to IP given to |
| • Contract for Services | |
| • Deliverables are required beyond standard financial and progress reports |
The match is provided in three categories:
Category One: 50% cash gift (or pledge payment) for a match between $100,000 and $999,999
Category Two: 75% cash gift (or pledge payment) for a match between $1 million and $1,999,999
Category Three: 100% cash gift (or pledge payment) for a match between $2 million and $10 million
| GIFT AND MATCHING LEVELS | |
|---|---|
| Cash gift of $100,000 to $999,999 | 50% Match |
| Cash gift of $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 | 75% Match |
| Cash gift of $2,000,000 to $10,000,000 | 100% Match |
IMPACT OF TRIP
| $68,237,647.44 |
| Match Received |
| 18 |
| Discipline/Units Impacted |
TRIP FUNDS AT WORK
Steinway Initiative
Moores School of Music, Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
Through private donations and combined TRIP funds, the University was able to procure 23 Steinway pianos and ensure proper maintenance of these renowned instruments. The initiative has helped the University recruit top faculty in the field of piano and greatly enriched the experience of student artists.
Texas Consortium for High-Risk Children
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
TRIP matching funds helped support multiple areas in the Consortium, supplementing important research in both the Psychology Department and the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES), which supports cutting edge research methods and metrics in behavioral, psychological, educational, and developmental outcomes of children and adults.
Post-Doctoral Fellowships, Surveys and Other Initiatives
Hobby School of Public Affairs
TRIP funds were used to support a number of endeavors in the Hobby School of Public Affairs including:
- Three post-doctoral fellows and four research assistants
- A Deliberative Poll Survey on current immigration issues
- A two-week summer institute on Empirical Implication of Theoretical Models (EITM), hosting researchers and students from across the nation teaching the NSF-inspired three step EITM framework.
- Two regional surveys:
- Houston Mayoral Survey
- Hurricane Harvey Survey
- Additional research reports and other initiatives
HOW ARE TRIP FUNDS USED?
TRIP funds are used in a variety of ways to both maximize the impact of the original gift and to help support the University’s broader research initiatives. Currently, 50% of TRIP matching funds are combined with the original gift. This ensures the donor’s intention for the gift is fully maximized. The remaining 50% of matching funds are invested in other priority research initiatives as approved by the President of the University of Houston.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on how your gift to the University of Houston can take advantage of the TRIP match and other matching programs, or to learn more about the impact of philanthropy on priority research initiatives at UH, please contact Russell Dunlavy, Sr. Associate Vice President for Development, by emailing rtdunlavy@uh.edu.