Endowment Match Program Impact

Since 1998, The University of Kentucky has used the Endowment Match Program to:

• Create 98 endowed chairs (85 were filled in FY20-21)
• Create 217 endowed professorships (171 were filled in FY20-21)
• Create 260 fellowships, enrichments and mission support projects to support research and the William T. Young Library

View Chairs & Professorships

• Faculty Chairs and Professors (PDF,  4 pgs)
• Vacant Chairs and Professorships (PDF,  2 pgs)

View Full Report

Endowment Match Program 2020-2021 (PDF, 43 pgs)

What is the RCTF Endowment Match Program?

The Research Challenge Trust Fund was developed in 1997 with the passage of HB1, the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act for strategic investment at the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Kentucky’s six regional universities. 

The program, administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education, is designed to advance the economic success of Kentucky and its citizens through education and research. RCTF provides Kentucky’s universities support for ongoing efforts to attract and retain renowned faculty and researchers.

The Endowment Match Program creates chairs, professorships, fellowships and scholarships, and endowments for research support and for the library. The University of Kentucky provides a dollar-for-dollar match by internal reallocation or by raising external funds.

RCTF Benefits

In 1997 the Commonwealth of Kentucky pledged its unprecedented support not only to the University of Kentucky, but also to the future of the people of Kentucky. This partnership has increased UK’s capacity to create new knowledge and transfer it from the lab into products and technologies that improve the health and well-being of Kentuckians.

Distinguished professors are the cornerstone of a successful university research program. RCTF assists UK in successfully recruiting quality faculty that can compete for additional research dollars and who are excellent teachers. These faculty are leading research teams to enrich the lives of Kentuckians and improve our economy.

UK researchers are focusing on critical areas of concern in the Commonwealth, areas such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease; reducing underage smoking; enhancing the learning capabilities of children with disabilities; improving primary and secondary education; and researching causes and improved treatments for those with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and potentially lethal cancers such as lung, breast and colon cancers, to name a few.

Top research universities that recruit and retain world-class scholars also attract and educate the best students. Through RCTF, UK has been able to recruit top graduate students and provide support for their research. 

The RCTF/Bucks for Brains program helps strengthen Kentucky’s universities, build our economy, and address many of the health, social and educational challenges that Kentuckians face every day.

Contacts

For additional information or questions concerning this report, contact: 

Angie Martin, Vice President of Financial Planning & Chief Budget Officer
University Budget Office
1500 Bull Lea Rd, Suite 201
Lexington, KY 40511-0573
www.uky.edu/ubo