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Von der Leyen to US scientists: We'll fund your research [1]
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Date: 2025-05-05
The United States has been the envy of the world for its scientific research. But Trump has launched a campaign to destroy US research capabilities.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has implemented sweeping cuts to the federal budget that have deprived science agencies, research institutions and medical centres of billions of dollars in grants, imperilling their ability to sustain crucial studies that require reliable and steady funding. Programmes focused on climate change, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and HIV prevention have already been affected.
One egregious example: Trump has withheld $2.2 billion in research grants to Harvard University. Harvard’s faculty has won more Nobel Prizes than any other university anywhere..
So America’s loss is an opportunity for Europe. Von der Leyen wants to recruit US scientific talent to turbocharge research across the continent.
As part of this initiative, she said, the bloc will seek to reduce bureaucratic burdens, facilitate access to venture capital, and offer more long-term contracts and higher allowances. Additionally, the EU will establish a seven-year "super grant" and add a financial "top-up" to the stipend of those who choose to relocate. Freedom of scientific research will be enshrined in law, she added. The plan will build upon existing research programmes, mainly the €93-billion Horizon Europe, and include a fresh envelope of €500 million for the 2025-2027 period. "The first priority is to ensure that science in Europe remains open and free. This is our calling card," von der Leyen told the audience.
Also at the event where Von der Leyen made her pitch to US researchers was French President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed his astonishment at Trump’s anti-science/anti-research policies:
"Nobody could have imagined, a few years ago, that one of the largest democracies in the world would abolish research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in that program," Macron said. "Nobody could think that this very great democracy in the world, whose economic model is based so strongly on free science and innovation (...) was going to make such a mistake. But here we are."
This is so sad. From the 1930’s through the post-war and cold war era the United States was a magnet for scientists across the globe. Now we are experiencing a reverse migration of brilliance.
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