Research & innovation
The most important discoveries don’t stay in the lab.
At Illinois, researchers are developing cleaner energy technologies, improving health outcomes, protecting natural resources, and finding new ways to help communities thrive. Philanthropic support empowers these researchers to pursue bold ideas, accelerate breakthrough discoveries, and translate their work into real-world solutions that benefit people in Illinois and across the globe.
Impact spotlight
Deborah M. House Fund for Cancer Research
Doctoral student partners with oncologists to study ovarian cancer
The House Fund recently supported Rana Abbed, a third-year Ph.D. student in bioengineering in the lab of Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) member Susan Leggett. Abbed’s research focuses on breast and ovarian cancer.
The scholarship helped facilitate Abbed’s research collaboration with the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she partners with gynecologic oncologists Dr. Mary M. Mullen and Dr. Whitney Grither. Together, they address the urgent challenge of ovarian cancer — the most lethal gynecologic cancer — by developing new laboratory models that more accurately reflect how the disease progresses.
The Deborah M. House Fund for Cancer Research empowers University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students with invaluable, real-world experience in the fight against cancer.
Soybean Innovation Lab Fund
Gift sustains critical agricultural innovation
A $1.02 million gift from an anonymous donor through Founders Pledge is helping the Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) at Illinois continue its work after the closure of USAID-funded programs threatened to end the lab’s operations. The funding will support SIL and its core staff for another year, allowing researchers to continue building soybean value chains that support farmers, agribusinesses, and economies across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.
Led by emeritus professor Peter Goldsmith, SIL works with local partners to expand soybean production and strengthen agricultural markets in emerging regions. The new funding will help restart efforts in southern Malawi, where SIL is supporting the introduction of new soybean varieties and helping farmers take advantage of recent irrigation investments. By reducing risk and building market opportunities, SIL helps create pathways for economic growth while strengthening global soybean supply chains and opening new opportunities for agricultural trade.
The Soybean Innovation Lab Fund supports research, partnerships, and market development efforts that advance soybean production around the world. Gifts help sustain the lab’s mission of strengthening agricultural systems, supporting farmers and communities, and creating long-term economic opportunities through innovation.
Giving stories
Support what drives Illinois forward
Together, we can accelerate discovery, empower students, and create lasting impact at Illinois.