Texas voters approve $3.9 billion research fund for Texas Tech, other universities

The Victory Bells at Texas Tech rang out Tuesday night as Red Raiders celebrated a women's basketball win at the United Supermarkets Arena.

But they could have just as easily been ringing out for another victory for Tech, along with other major, emerging universities in the state.

Results from the Nov. 7 election showed Texas voters approved Proposition 5, establishing the Texas University Fund with an initial $3.9 billion endowment to support research funding.

About 64% of voters across the state supported the constitutional amendment, with 99 percent of precincts reporting, according to results as of Wednesday morning.

Our View: TUF would give Texas Tech, major state universities potent research boost

Texas Tech administration and lawmakers react to the passing of TUF

"Thank you for your belief in higher education and for your trust in the important work done by Texas Tech University," TTU President Lawrence Schovanec said.

In a statement early Wednesday morning, President Schovanec said the TUF is not only a win for Tech but a win for the generations of researchers it will impact in the future.

The chancellor of Texas Tech University System, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, also released a statement stating the TUF "will drive economic growth & development in our communities & across Texas for future generations."

Mitchell even recognized those local state lawmakers who helped support this bill through the Texas Legislature.

One of those lawmakers was State Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock, who wrote in a post Tuesday night that "Prop 5 is of historic importance to West Texas and our Red Raiders."

He went on to thank Texans for approving it.

Former TTU System Chancellor Kent Hance also took to social media and said the passage of Prop 5 is a "huge win for research" in Texas.

What's next for the Texas Tech and TUF

Funding from the TUF will go to the University of Houston, Texas State University, University of North Texas and Tech, with Tech initially projected to receive $44.4 million annually in research assistance.

Funding for the TUF can only be used for the following:

• Provide faculty support and pay faculty salaries.

• Purchasing equipment or library materials.

• Paying graduate stipends.

• Support graduate and undergraduate research.

• Increase patent development, commercialization and technology transfer.

• Increasing the number of research doctoral graduates for the state.

More: Texas Tech sets ambitious fundraising goals, breaks research, enrollment records

The university has already identified five areas where the TUF will support research on campus. Here is what they are and a brief description according to TTU's research map.

• One Health —This area of research is a relatively newly emerging field but pertains to looking at how humans, animals and the environment interact and affect one another in hopes of better understanding the health of the world. This field of research is a collaboration between the flagship university and the TTU Health Sciences Center. Under the One Health initiative, Tech will focus research on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, chronic diseases, food safety and security and environmental effects on human and animal safety, according to an internal presentation from the Office of Research.

• Energy —With Texas Tech being situated next to the nation's capital of oil, natural gas and wind, the university, according to an internal presentation from the Office of Research, is primed to conduct research on energy. In the internal presentation, the university highlighted research in grid integration and resiliency, oil and gas energy, wind resource management and predition, non-STEM energy research and energy storage with potential research in solar, bioenergy, nuclear and hydrogen and fuel cells.

• Agriculture —According to the internal presentation "THRIVE! Rural America,", the State of Texas provides, 30% of beef, 20% of oil and 35% of cotton the the United States with most of it being produced in West Texas. Through research in sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy development, manufacturing valued added products, rural health, critical infrastructure for rural communities and workforce development and retention, the university hope to build up rural communities' resilience to economic changes.

• Climate —With the understanding that the climate will change, the university will focus research on how to mitigate its effects with focus on ecosystem adaptation to climate change and nature based sources, climate change and natural resources on food, fibers, and products and urban and social issues, according to an internal presentation.

• National Security —According to a Texas Tech Today art icle from the university, research is being conducted on improving equipment for the military while also leveraging technology to do so. Through current research being conducted, the university established the Institute for Peace & Conflict to help facilitate further research.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas voters OK $3.9B research fund for Texas Tech, other universities