The gift establishes four new interdisciplinary institutes. Each is especially relevant to Houston’s future and will address issues with major societal impact:

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Energy Security

Institute for Resilient Infrastructure and Smart Cities

Institute for Population Health

Institute for Global Engagement

The institutes will be led by faculty with internationally recognized credentials, such as members of the National Academies of Engineering, Science or Medicine. An accomplished international executive will be sought to lead the Institute for Global Engagement. As part of the pledge and to create these prestigious positions, the anonymous donor will provide matching funds to draw and leverage support from other donors.

Donors who commit $2 million to establish an endowed chair in one of the new institutes, will have their gifts matched by the anonymous donor, doubling the impact to create a $4 million endowed chair.

Similarly, $1 million gifts for endowed professorships in the institutes will be matched by the anonymous donor to create $2 million endowed professorships.

“With this gift, we will help prepare University of Houston students to thrive in the global marketplace,” said the donor. “Strong faculty leadership is paramount to the University’s success. This new wave of outstanding faculty will build upon the University’s already exceptional faculty. We believe this investment will continue the process of motivating students and benefit our great city of Houston through work in the classrooms, institutes and labs.”

The Aspire Fund and the new institutes will give UH students the opportunity to collaborate with leading scholars in innovative research and discovery worldwide.

"It takes UH to an entirely new level.” Eloise Brice, vice president for university advancement

The institutes, and the faculty members who lead them, will conduct cutting-edge research, lead and contribute to global conversations, and develop and implement real-world solutions and advancements. Eloise Brice, vice president for university advancement, said the anonymous donor understands the power of intellectual human capital and chose to focus on advancing knowledge on issues that uniquely underpin the social, political and economic future for both Houston and the world.

“This gift creates an environment to attract both the world’s best and brightest faculty and also its top flight students” said Brice. “These new institutes will motivate and educate students to pursue challenging areas of study, particularly in the STEM and health sciences fields. It takes UH to an entirely new level.”

“This visionary philanthropy is a game-changer for the University of Houston, increasing its visibility and profile on a local, national and international level. Tilman Fertitta, UH System Board of Regents Chairman

“This visionary philanthropy is a game-changer for the University of Houston, increasing its visibility and profile on a local, national and international level. Just imagine the in-roads of innovation and discovery that will be possible in this type of environment,” said Tilman Fertitta, chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents.

The transformational donation comes in the final year of the university’s $1 billion “Here, We Go” Campaign, which will conclude in August 2020. But the momentum is expected to continue.

“Challenge matching gift programs of this magnitude have incredible positive impact. They reinvigorate the University as a whole, strengthening our core foundation, academic and research prowess,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

In addition to the anonymous donor’s $50 million gift and the $50 million it is expected to elicit from other donors, the University will seek matching funds available from the state through the Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP) and the Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI).