Scientific institutions across Europe and beyond are intensifying efforts to recruit researchers and scientists seeking to leave the United States due to a changing environment influenced by the Trump administration's stringent policies on research agencies.

Among the leading institutions vying for American expertise is the University of Cambridge, which is targeting experts in fields ranging from biomedical research to artificial intelligence, following significant funding cuts and restrictive measures by Washington.

Senior researchers and institutional officials in several European countries report receiving inquiries from American colleagues at various career stages regarding potential moves away from the U.S. Deborah Prentice, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, stated that the university is "already organizing to deal with these circumstances", highlighting the possibility of funding for departments aiming to attract high-potential candidates from the U.S.

Jowan Baedron Carney, Chief Government Relations Officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, noted that nations such as China and France are "eagerly and gladly" seeking to recruit American researchers for their universities, labs, and industrial sectors.

She remarked, "Other countries are fully aware that this is an opportunity they can leverage to their advantage."

The Trump administration is actively pursuing billions of dollars in cuts from research agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), though a federal judge recently issued a ruling against the largest tranche of these cuts.

Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council, indicated that the political climate in the U.S. is "stifling independent research" and raising concerns among European colleagues who might be able to offer refuge.

Leptin commented, "What we can do is to communicate to our colleagues living in the U.S. that the European research community and its funders welcome those researchers, regardless of their nationality, who find their options for independent scientific work threatened."

Steen Linarson, Dean of the Karolinska Institute for Biomedical Research in Sweden, mentioned that the institute is likely to begin advertising job vacancies soon and is exploring ways to support American researchers seeking a safe haven.

Linarson stated, "Our colleagues tell us that they have peers in the U.S. looking for somewhere to go.

Just to give them a place to take refuge and find their way, we can offer them a spot for six or twelve months here – that is very easy to do."

These developments prompt researchers in the U.S. and abroad to question whether America is abandoning its post-World War II model, characterized by robust state support for broad scientific discoveries as a driver of innovation and economic growth.

The upheaval within American scientific circles has reportedly opened opportunities for recruiting researchers affiliated with China.

A commentary published last week noted, "Under the guise of national security, Washington is destabilizing the scientific research field."

It added, "Faced with increasing pressures, many American-born Chinese scientists are reassessing their career paths and are directing their interests towards China, which they now view as more open, inclusive, and abundant in opportunities."

The American research landscape is experiencing mounting pressures due to government actions, including cuts in funding, restrictions on research related to specific vaccines, and the human causes of climate change.

Prominent scientists and American administrators express uncertainty about the future of these processes, citing a lack of transparency, ongoing revisions, and legal challenges to some proposed changes.

This uncertainty is highly detrimental, particularly for researchers, including many young scientists pursuing Ph.D. degrees, who are uncertain about their funding prospects.

Prentice of Cambridge noted that the potential shift of talent across the Atlantic is "on the radar" of leading scientific institutions in the UK.

"This jumps to the forefront of my mind, as many of my friends and former colleagues from the U.S. write asking, 'How do we get to Britain?'" said Prentice, emphasizing that for Cambridge, the focus is on trying to provide resources for departments and units that have the opportunity to hire.

Furthermore, French Minister of Higher Education and Research Philippe Baptiste has written to leading research institutions urging them to submit proposals for priority areas to attract scientific and technological talent willing to leave the United States.

Baptiste commented, "Many well-known researchers are already questioning their future in the U.S. and we would certainly like to welcome a number of them." The University of Aix-Marseille in southern France has also launched a program for American-based scientists who may feel "threatened and hindered in their research", especially due to cuts targeting fields like climate change.