As the Trump administration slashes billions in federal research funding, Europe is stepping in with a bold counteroffer: $566 million to attract top scientists and researchers from American labs and universities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the initiative during a speech at Sorbonne University in Paris, positioning Europe as a global hub for scientific innovation. The program includes so-called “super grants” through the European Research Council (ERC) , longer contracts, expanded support for early-career scientists, and doubled relocation bonuses — all aimed at making Europe more appealing to international talent.
Without directly naming the U.S. or President Trump, von der Leyen criticized the rollback of science funding elsewhere in the world, calling it a “gigantic miscalculation.”
“Science holds the key to our future,” she said. “Because as threats rise across the world, Europe will not compromise on its principles. Europe must remain the home of academic and scientific freedom.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also backed the campaign last month, promoting the “Choose Europe” initiative on LinkedIn.
Trump Cuts Trigger Fear of Brain Drain
The European push comes just weeks after the Trump administration froze or cut billions in federal funding for U.S. universities and research institutions. Harvard University alone has seen $2.3 billion in federal funds frozen. Princeton University had dozens of federal research grants suspended. An executive order was also signed to dismantle the Department of Education.
These moves have triggered hiring freezes, layoffs, and growing concern among academics and researchers that the U.S. could face a long-term brain drain — one that may weaken its standing as a global leader in science and innovation.
Peter Lurie, a researcher suing the Trump administration over cuts to NIH projects — including work on Alzheimer’s, reproductive health, cancer, and diabetes — warned that shutting off funding so abruptly “absolutely endangers the United States’ position as the global leader in medical research.”
“And for that, we will pay,” he told Business Insider last week.
Glenn Altschuler, a professor of American studies at Cornell University, echoed those concerns, saying the long-term impact on U.S. scientific innovation could be devastating.
“It’ll take a very long time to come back,” he said.
Europe’s Strategic Play
Europe’s new campaign isn’t subtle. By targeting U.S. researchers directly, the EU is signaling that it sees opportunity in America’s current policy direction. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has supported 174 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, is among the hardest-hit agencies — raising fears that future breakthroughs may now emerge elsewhere.
Von der Leyen addressed her remarks broadly but clearly intended to reach disillusioned scientists abroad:
“To every researcher, at home or abroad, to every young girl and boy who dreams of a life in science, our message is clear: Choose Science. Choose Europe.”
With this move, Europe hopes to shift the balance in the global race for scientific talent — betting that stability, openness, and investment can outweigh the short-term disruptions in the U.S.
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