The Prairie Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research institute charged with providing objective research, expertise, and data on the natural and cultural resources of Illinois. Established as a unit of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by a Public Act of the Illinois State Legislature in 2008, the Institute comprises the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), [http://www.isas.illinois.edu Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS)], [http://www.isgs.illinois.edu Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS)], [http://www.isws.illinois.edu Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS)], and [http://www.istc.illinois.edu Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)]. The Institute has a combined total staff of more than 1,000 as of May 2012 with facilities on Urbana-Champaign campus and field offices and research stations throughout the state. The total FY11 expenditures were $78 million, with $15.8 million appropriated by the state, and $62.1 million expended in external funding including federal, state, local, and private grants and contracts. - Source: Wikipedia