There's a substantial cash prize awaiting Texas' seven emerging research universities, if they can meet the state's criteria to be considered "tier one." But there's no way to get at it right now, and there won't be unless they can all reach an agreement.

With the approval of Texas voters in November 2009, the dormant Higher Education Fund was converted into the National Research University Fund, currently valued at approximately $613 million. To gain access to the fund, universities must meet several benchmarks.

When they established the financial incentives for certain schools to become tier-one institutions ...

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