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US government spending on health research has reached a 10-year low, forcing universities to draw from their savings and hurting companies that sell lab supplies.
Researchers who pursued global health, race, gender identity, climate change and topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion also saw their grants terminated.
This has led to three-quarters of US-based respondents in a Nature poll considering leaving the country, creating an opportunity for the EU to attract researchers from the US.
“We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of the most valuable global goods, and it must be protected,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in May in a speech delivered at La Sorbonne University in Paris.
In 2024, the US accounted for 36% of all highly cited researchers, compared to 21% in China and 19% in the EU (including Switzerland and Norway), according to a Bruegel analysis.
While the EU retains a significant portion of its own talent, it also contributes substantially to the global pool of mobile top researchers, particularly to the US.
Among US-based highly cited researchers at Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia, 7.7% earned their PhD in the EU.
A large portion of the US-based top research workforce also has an international education, with 24% of US-based highly cited researchers being entirely educated abroad.
What factors could drive the choice to leave a country?
Family ties, personal life plans and career prospects are among the factors that can persuade researchers to move countries.
However, there is still a large salary gap between US and EU academics.
A top researcher at the University of California can earn between $500,000 (€432,300) and over $1 million (€865,240) annually. In contrast, even the highest-paid professors at top European institutions such as Spain’s Complutense University of Madrid typically earn no more than €77,122.
Initiatives such as Choose Europe, which includes a €500 million package aimed at attracting researchers to Europe, alongside efforts to reduce barriers for international students and researchers, could lead to essential changes in the long run.
For instance, Provence-Aix Marseille University reported being “inundated” with applications from US-based researchers after announcing the launch of the three-year Safe Place For Science program, where they expect to raise €15 million and host around 15 researchers.
Yet, between 2022 and 2024, the most attractive destinations among US graduates who wanted to move abroad were the United Kingdom and Canada.
“Life-changing plans take time, and it is too early to expect a massive outflow from the US,” the Bruegel analysis stated.
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