blog posts Abandoned crops, fired scientists: Agricultural research hit by U.S. foreign aid freeze Feb 18, 2025 11:45 am by ScienceIllinois in the News Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Science (Feb. 14) Peter Goldsmith, head of the Soybean Innovation Lab at the U. of I., says he held a 'very tearful' meeting earlier this week, where he laid off 30 scientists, staff. It’s not clear whether they will be rehired. Share on Facebook Tweet Email