The Harold Hamm Foundation Donates $34 Million to Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at OU Medicine

On November 10, 2018 the University of Oklahoma announced a $34 million dollar gift made to the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center (HHDC) at OU Medicine. The gift from The Harold Hamm Foundation is the largest gift ever made to the HHDC and follows the gift given by Mr. Hamm in 2007 that established the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center with the goal to cure diabetes. 

Today, the HHDC is one of the top comprehensive centers in the United States. There is an intense focus on multi-disciplinary research and the center is also celebrated for unparalleled patient care and the prevention of all types of diabetes. 

The $34 million dollar gift will be allocated over the next 10 years to fund  research, talent and technology.

“I believe that breakthroughs in diabetes will occur in the lab and we want to foster an environment where the best and brightest are exploring all pathways to a cure at the HHDC,” said Harold Hamm.

The funds will also allow for novel projects in diabetes research where traditional funding mechanisms do not exist. This will provide diabetes researchers the opportunity to determine the feasibility of the ongoing study of new and novel concepts. It will also be utilized in support of hiring diabetes faculty and researchers, as well as developing new research programs and supporting facilities at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center.

“We are very grateful to Harold for his continued support of research toward a cure for a disease that affects so many Oklahomans,” said University of Oklahoma President Jim Gallogly. “This gift will go a long way toward our goal of doubling research at OU, and it will directly impact hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans and people around the world.”

Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, created by the OU Board of Regents with the support of the Oklahoma Legislature, is charged with providing statewide leadership in diabetes treatment, research, prevention, information, education and awareness. The comprehensive diabetes center, with operations on OU’s Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses, also provides access to the latest developments in diabetes care and management through clinical trials hosted by the center. 

“A major gift like this enables Harold Hamm Diabetes Center to recruit world-class diabetes researchers whose work improves the quality of life of diabetic patients and reduces the financial burden of diabetes care,” said Dr. Jay Ma, director of research programs at Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. “It enhances our center’s reputation of leadership, allowing us to attract more excellent diabetes experts into Oklahoma and benefit Oklahomans.”

Additionally, Harold Hamm Diabetes Center is home to the Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes. Awarded biennially, the $250,000.00 prize recognizes innovation in the field of diabetes research with an emphasis on progress toward a cure. The prize, established in 2012, celebrates the scientific achievements of an outstanding researcher, team of researchers or research institution selected by a rotating Jury of national land international leaders in the diabetes community. 

Hamm currently serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Resources Inc., one of the largest publicly owned oil and gas exploration and production companies in the country.

Established in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting university and leader in research, healthcare, and academic activity impacting the state of Oklahoma and global community. The Norman campus enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City enrolls more than 3,000 students and the OU-Tulsa campus enrolls more than 1,000. Of the 4,385 incoming freshmen in 2018, the average ACT score is 26.2 and is one of the most diverse and inclusive groups of incoming students in university history. OU began a new focus in 2018 to double research efforts in the next five years, promote OU Medicine as the healthcare provider of choice in the state of Oklahoma, and grow the university in northeastern Oklahoman.