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French officials are urging the country’s research institutions to consider welcoming scientists who are leaving the United States due to recent cuts in federal funding and policies under President Donald Trump.
Since his return to office in January, President Trump’s administration has significantly reduced federal research funding, especially in fields related to health and climate science, while also attempting to dismiss hundreds of federal workers in these sectors.
In response, many prominent researchers in the US are reportedly reconsidering their future in the country.
In a letter to French research institutions, Philippe Baptiste, France’s Minister for Higher Education and Research, expressed the government’s desire to attract these scientists, encouraging institutions to send him proposals for prioritising specific technologies and fields of research.
Aix-Marseille University has already announced the launch of a new programme aimed at attracting US researchers, particularly those working on climate change. This programme is designed to offer a welcoming environment for scientists who feel threatened or hindered in the United States, providing them with an opportunity to continue their work in a setting conducive to academic freedom and innovation.
The French government’s offer comes in the wake of significant cuts to research and science programmes in the United States, including the defunding of key research agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Trump’s withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation, combined with his appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, has further intensified dissatisfaction among the scientific community.
Yasmine Belkaid, the director of France’s Pasteur Institute, shared that she receives numerous inquiries from US-based scientists seeking opportunities in France.
She views this situation as a “sad opportunity” for French research to position itself as a central player in global scientific innovation.
French Nobel laureates, such as economist Esther Duflo and physicist Anne L’Huillier, also expressed concern in a Le Monde editorial, criticising the attacks on US science as threats to democracy.
The calls for action come as US universities and research institutions, strained by budget cuts, are reducing opportunities for doctoral students and researchers.
