Trump "Dumps" Scientists, Countries and Universities Around the World Ready to Take Them

Thousands of scientists in the United States lost their jobs or grant funding when U.S. President Donald Trump cut federal funding for scientific research. For countries and universities around the world, this is a golden opportunity. They are ready to accommodate U.S. scientists. At least three countries are already eyeing this, namely Canada, France, and Australia.

The Associated Press reported on Sunday (25/5/2025) that Canada has a program called "Canada Leads," which was launched in April 2025. Through this program, Canada hopes to nurture a new generation of innovative scientists by bringing in emerging biomedical researchers.

Aix-Marseille University in France has initiated the "Safe Space for Science" program since March. With this program, France is opening its doors wide for American scientists who feel threatened or hindered in conducting their research.

Australia also has a "Global Talent Attraction Program," launched in April, which promises competitive salaries and relocation programs. "This is a golden opportunity for Australia to attract some of the brightest scientists from the US here," said the Head of the Australian Academy of Science, Anna-Maria Arabia.

Science journal editor-in-chief Holden Thorp said that since World War II, the US has invested heavily in scientific research at universities and federal agencies. It was this funding that propelled the US into a world-renowned scientific power. It was thanks to this funding that the US succeeded in inventing the mobile phone and the internet and new ways to treat cancer, heart disease and stroke.

However, all of that changed after Trump came to power again since January. Trump and his administration consider the federal government's budget for scientific development as wasteful and inefficient.

Therefore, they are reducing the number of staff and scientists. The government is also cutting grant funds to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other agencies. Research funding for several private universities is also being reduced. The White House has proposed a budget cut of approximately 40 percent for the NIH and 55 percent for the NSF for the upcoming year.

"The Trump administration is reviewing previous government projects, identifying waste, and realigning research expenditures to align with the priorities of the people while continuing innovative dominance," said White House spokesperson Kush Desai.

Several universities have frozen recruitment, laid off staff, or stopped accepting new graduate students. Trump also revoked Harvard University's license to accept international students on Thursday (22/5/2025). Various research institutions abroad are beginning to worry about the fate of the collaborations they have established with American scientists. Nevertheless, this actually presents an opportunity for them to recruit American scientists.

"There is a threat to the world of science in the US. Unfortunately, many talented scientists are affected," said Brad Wouters from the University Health Network, a renowned hospital and medical research center in Canada that has launched the "Canada Leads" recruitment program.

Not only universities around the world are competing to recruit one another, but also technology companies and the business world. This time, recruiters targeting American scientists have added a new incentive, namely academic freedom.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union (EU) aims to enshrine the freedom of scientific research into law. The EU initiated the "Choose Europe for Science" program long before Trump cut research funding.

The President of Aix-Marseille University, France, Eric Berton, who launched the "Safe Space for Science" program, stated that the American scientists who have been their research partners are not primarily motivated by money. It is not merely financial gain that they seek, but rather the opportunity to conduct research and attain academic freedom.

According to preliminary reports, 139 out of 300 applications submitted to the "Safe Space for Science" program come from scientists based in the United States, including artificial intelligence researchers and astrophysicists. The number of applicants based in the United States in this year's recruitment round for the French Institute of Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology has doubled compared to last year.

At the Max Planck Society in Germany, the number of applications from scientists based in the United States for the "Lise Meitner Excellence" program has tripled compared to last year. This program is aimed at young female researchers. Recruiters collaborating with companies and nonprofit organizations are observing the same trend.

Natalie Derry, a managing partner of the Global Emerging Sciences Practice in the UK at the recruitment firm WittKieffer, stated that her team has observed a 25-35 percent increase in the number of applicants from the US calling to inquire about job openings.

Although there are already more attractive offers outside the United States, it does not necessarily mean that scientists will immediately flock to move and leave the United States. From the university's perspective alone, it takes at least months to review applications and allocate research funding. Researchers may also find it challenging to easily change their lives.

“There are barriers such as language, childcare or eldercare arrangements, and differences in national pension programs,” Derry said.

In addition, the United States can still carry out important research programs despite budget cuts. The United States is known as one of the countries with a very large research and development budget.

For decades, the United States has been a renowned funder of research and development globally, including government, universities, and private investments. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in 2023, the United States funded 29 percent of the world's research and development.

Max Planck Society Head Patrick Cramer stated that science is a global endeavor as data collections and discoveries are often shared among international collaborators. Researchers around the world would suffer if this collaboration were to be shut down and databases were turned off. "One of the goals of recruiting scientists is to help prevent the loss of talent for the global scientific community," he said.

The President of the Institute of Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Cellular Biology in France, Patrick Schulz, believes that the United States has always been an example, both in terms of science and education. Therefore, cuts to funding for scientific research are alarming not only for the United States but for the entire world that will also be affected.

Brandon Coventry, a postdoctoral researcher studying nerve implants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, never imagined he would have to consider working outside the United States. However, federal funding cuts and questions about whether new grants will materialize have made him increasingly uncertain about his future.

Although reluctant to leave his family and friends, he has applied to several universities in Canada and France. "I never wanted to leave the US, but this is a serious matter for me," he said.

However, it is indeed not easy to start and continue a scientific career, let alone to begin a new life. Marianna Zhang studies how children develop racial and gender stereotypes as a postdoctoral researcher at New York University.

However, his research is threatened when the grant obtained from the NSF is canceled. He feels that the United States is no longer interested in studying his field. However, he does not know what to do. "Fleeing and moving to another country is not an easy solution," he said. (AP)