. ▁The ▁Research ▁Tri angle ▁Institute ▁( now ▁R TI ▁International ) ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁park ' s ▁found ers ▁as ▁the ▁research ▁park ' s ▁first ▁ten ant ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁following ▁January ▁they ▁announced ▁that ▁$ 1 . 4 2 5 ▁million ▁had ▁been ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁Research ▁Tri angle ▁Foundation ▁to ▁fund ▁the ▁park ▁and ▁that ▁$ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁set ▁aside ▁for ▁R TI ▁International . ▁ ▁R TI ▁started ▁with ▁three ▁divisions : ▁Is ot ope ▁Development , ▁Oper ational ▁Sciences ▁and ▁Statistics ▁Research . ▁Its ▁first ▁contract ▁was ▁a ▁$ 4 , 5 0 0 ▁statistical ▁study ▁of ▁mor bid ity ▁data ▁from ▁Tennessee . ▁In ▁R TI ' s ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁operation , ▁it ▁had ▁ 2 5 ▁staff ▁and ▁$ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁research ▁contract s . ▁Its ▁early ▁work ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁statistics , ▁but ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁R TI ▁expanded ▁into ▁radio is ot op es , ▁organ ic ▁chem istry ▁and ▁polym ers . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁the ▁Institute ▁had ▁its ▁first ▁international ▁research ▁contract ▁for ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁census ▁in ▁Niger ia . ▁R TI ▁won ▁contract s ▁with ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education , ▁Def ense ▁Department , ▁NASA ▁and ▁the ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission , ▁growing ▁to ▁$ 3 . 4 ▁million ▁in ▁contract s ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁and ▁$ 8 5 ▁million