Trump cuts funds, triggers researcher exodus, Europe starts poaching

European academic institutions are increasingly actively seeking US researchers who want to leave the US because of the Trump administration's research cuts. Cambridge University and other leading institutions, particularly in the fields of biomedicine and artificial intelligence, are preparing attractive offers, the Financial Times reported.

Uncertainty about significant reductions in US research funding and cutbacks in certain disciplines are increasing the propensity of researchers to emigrate.

The Trump administration has already sought to slash billions in funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, although a federal judge issued an injunction this month against the biggest tranche of cuts. Maria Leptin, president of the EU's European Research Council, says the political environment in the US is "discouraging for independent investigator-driven research".

European scientific communities, including institutions in Sweden and France, are looking for ways to provide a safe haven for US researchers.

The French government is developing a specific strategy to attract US scientists and is encouraging the country's leading research institutions to do the same. The Aix-Marseille University, for example, has launched a targeted programme for scientists in the US who feel insecure because of the halt in climate change research or other cuts. In Sweden, leaders at the Karolinska Institute, one of the world's foremost medical universities, are already working to give US researchers up to a year's sabbatical.

China is also taking advantage of the situation to lure back Chinese scientists working in the US.

According to Global Times, a Communist party tabloid newspaper, Washington's policies have "put scientific research in limbo", causing many Chinese-American researchers to reassess their careers. Beijing is trying to lure them back with targeted programmes, claiming that China is now "more open, inclusive and full of opportunities".

12 EU capitals want programmes to bring over US scholars

In a letter to the European Commission, twelve European governments called for an "attractivity boom" to bring in talent from abroad "who might suffer from research interference and ill-motivated and brutal funding cuts," Politico reported.

The letter, signed by Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain, was addressed to EU Innovation Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva.

It is urgent [...] to organize ourselves to welcome talents who would like or need to leave the United States,

French Research Minister Philippe Baptiste emphasised the urgency of the situation in a statement to Politico.

Although the United States is not explicitly named in the letter, the context is clear with references to threats to scientific freedom. The situation has become particularly acute since Donald Trump took office, with the US Education Department slashing around half of its workforce and universities like Johns Hopkins University reducing staff due to loss of government funding.

The proposal includes suggestions for attracting researchers through dedicated funding, immigration frameworks and strengthened partnerships with "other leading scientific nations".

The signatory countries have requested the Commission to arrange a meeting of EU research ministers to develop a concrete plan.

In past weeks, several universities across Europe have launched attempts to attract U.S.-based researchers. One of Brussels' universities, the Free University Brussels (VUB), on Monday announced 12 positions for international researchers "with a specific focus on American scholars." The French Aix-Marseille University also launched a "safe space for science program."

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