Mass emigration begins, Europe stands to gain enormously from the great exodus
A recent call for a multimillion-euro program run by the European Research Council, the bloc’s funding arm for fundamental research, saw a fivefold increase in U.S.-based applicants seeking to relocate to European institutions to pursue their research ambitions, according to new data seen by Politico.
The fresh wave of interest from U.S.-based researchers for European research grant money comes amid an increasingly hostile climate for academic research under the Trump administration.
This is a victory for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has led efforts to attract US researchers in direct response to deep cuts to academic programmes under the Trump administration. By emphasising academic freedom and increasing the funds available for relocation, Europe has positioned itself as a safe haven.
The EU's top research council announced this past spring it would double the additional amount available for researchers who wanted to relocate from the U.S. from €1 million to € 2 million. That means
those researchers are now eligible for up to a total of €4.5 million in funding over a maximum period of 5 years.
The incentive has proven extremely popular, according to data from the latest application round that closed at the end of August. There were 114 applications from the U.S., a 400% increase compared with the 2024 round when the EU received 23 U.S.-based proposals.
The total number of proposals increased by only 31%, from 2,534 to 3,329.
In response to US funding cuts, countries, regions, universities and research institutes across Europe have launched programmes. "There are now over 70 national and regional initiatives designed to attract researchers,” European Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva at a gathering in Brussels in mid-September.
Not only researchers, but also an increasing number of American civilians and entrepreneurs feel safer in Europe, which has sparked interest in immigration opportunities.
An increasing number of researchers are leaving the United States for China, which poses a significant threat to American science. CNN reported only a few days ago that this trend accelerated in 2025 when the Trump administration introduced research budget cuts and stricter controls.
At least 85 rising and established scientists working in the US have joined Chinese research institutions full-time since the start of last year, with more than half making the move in 2025, according to a CNN tally – a trend experts say is poised to expand as the White House pushes to slash research budgets and steps up scrutiny of foreign talent, while Beijing increases investment in homegrown innovation.
Most of them are part of a reverse brain drain, which is raising questions about the US's long-term ability to attract and retain top-tier foreign scientists. This has been a key factor in its status as the world's undisputed leader in technology and science since the end of World War II.
Cover image (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images
