A $500 million state grant for construction of the University of Illinois' vaunted Discovery Partners Institute and statewide "innovation network" is contingent on the school raising the same amount in private matching funds. A $500 million state grant for construction of the University of Illinois' vaunted Discovery Partners Institute and statewide "innovation network" is contingent on the school raising the same amount in private matching funds. The UI says it has collected about $400 million toward that goal, including about $170 million in corporate investments, some of which have yet to be announced. read more