Thank you for supporting the Prairie Research Institute!

At the Prairie Research Institute, our science extends beyond the laboratory. We do science that serves the people of Illinois and that helps decision makers at the community, state, and national levels to preserve and manage our precious cultural and natural resources. When you contribute to PRI, you share in this mission.

Your gift to PRI helps fund work in geology, ecology and biodiversity, archaeology, water, weather and climate, pollution prevention, hazardous waste management, and sustainable energy.

2025 PRI Expo

Discovery awaits at the 2025 PRI Expo on May 2–3 in Research Park! Help us fund this free, family-friendly event, where visitors of all ages can immerse themselves in science and technology with over 50 STEM exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.

PRI Support Fund

Giving to this unrestricted fund enables us to direct your support where it is most needed, whether hiring and retaining expert staff, digitizing data, infrastructure updates, or other emerging needs.

Scientific Collections

The Prairie Research Institute Scientific Collections Fund supports the preservation of our archaeological, biological, and geological research collections, which include rare and irreplaceable human artifacts, fossils, subsurface geological samples, and biological specimens (including amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, mammals, annelids, crustaceans, mollusks, plants, and fungi).

If you’d like to direct your donation to a specific collection, please type its name into the Additional Instructions field on the payment page.

Questions about any of these funds? Contact Senior Director of Advancement Erin Kirby at ekirby2@uif.uillinois.edu or 217-244-1901.