Summary
Trump’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) threaten U.S. biomedical research, forcing many scientists to consider leaving the country.
A 7 February policy would slash NIH funding by two-thirds, though a federal judge has temporarily blocked it.
Researchers relying on these grants fear for their jobs, with some already exploring options abroad.
The cuts particularly impact neuroscience, diabetes, and bird flu research, while also dismantling DEI initiatives.
Many scientists warn of long-term consequences for innovation and global health collaboration.
You cannot just lose just one generation of scientists.
Let it happen! We in europe welcome them with open arms!
Bring on the brain drain. Death to America.
Great! Leave the US and come prosper in Canada.
Do not listen to him! Europe! Come to Europe! Great Benefits, long holidays and you can travel between multiple countries and temperature-zones. When staying in canada, you can only travel back to the US or take a plane to cross either one of the two biggest oceans to get anywhere. In Europe you can spend a decade without running out of places to go. Also: We love your brain. Please come to Europe!
Just make Canada part of EU, then you don’t have to choose!
Don’t listen to him!!! We’ll pay you more 😉
Does Europe need IT workers? Software engineers?
YES! Especially germany! Senior developers are highly sought after. But you are expected to speak C1 german…
Greetings from a german Software dev
Sounds like I need to brush up on my German then. Appreciate the answer.
Greetings from a shithole country. Haha
To migrate to germany you need a safe income, job, place to stay and health insurance. You can get the health insurance after you have a contract.
Problem about germany is. Its migration is very tought. Lose your job and you have to leave the country first day you become homeless, unless you are on the european bluecard
“Shithole country” (sorry to make this joke) “Do yoi have any idea how little that narrows it down?”
Ain’t that the truth. Haha, greetings from America. At this point I’m looking at options of what to do. So this definitely helps.
Move to france, germany, spain, denmark, sweden,norway, ireland or any other country in europe except hungary and slovakia
Yes but the pay is literally half of what you could get in the states except for Switzerland.
You may get half but will have way more benefits than ever in the US. The median income of frontend dev is 60k in germany
Software engineering is dying in Switzerland. It’s flooded with layoffs from Credit Suisse, UBS, post covid Google and other faang layoffs in Zurich. IT almost doesn’t exist anywhere else in Switzerland, maybe except from Geneve CERN. Elsewhere they are job positions reserved for swiss if you can play swiss politics and speak Swiss German ( which you can learn only by being raised there )… I spent there 5 years and recently went back to Poland ( I speak both English and standard German but still … dont bank on this that its enough )
Microbiologist here, we’re working on it!
Problem is with the next generation of scientists. They can’t leave the country before they’ve made it.
if there will be a next generation of scientists,
consider how bad the job market it is for some stems before pandemic, its only getting worst anyways. some state university schools near my are cutting back alot, increasing tuition prices, reducing classes, and instructors some schools are considering combining with other nearby schools. theres also additional problems at the MS and PHD levels as well. Universities are holding onto tenured professors like they cant let them go, but not providing a path for graduates, or or adjuncts.
i checked my universities subreddit a few months back it was really bad. covid mainly made everyone take classes online, which caused students inability to learn anything, because you cant really focus on a subject when its just a powerpoint. I had a prof way before covid, and she only did biochemistry on powerpoint, and it was pretty much useless info since theres was very little learned very little. and her test questions are not even remotely close to what we learned on her lectures.
Scientists usually are the smart people. And they are potentially the more mobile employees. Of course they will notice when the ship is sinking…
they usually ditch long before that happens, remember when the usa was going through red scare, and started targeting chinese people, one of them fled to the CCP and was instrumental in chinas sudden transition to hydrogen bombs from fissionable bombs.
Wow, that very randomly and suddenly reminds me that in Leiden, NL, they have a Bio-Science Park that is building mega lab after mega lab(Covid really shifted this bio park into sixth gear), with some plots still left to fill, right next to 2 highways! Schiphol is just a train stop away! If the price of living and housing won’t deter you, nothing will!
Bonus fact: I used to jam riiiiiight there in the top right appartement of the block that’s starts lowest in the picture with my band Karateklit. Not anymore, we have a new place :)
Highways in the Netherlands? You mean a bike highway? /s
So anyone has a good suggestion for countries that accept people with PhDs are are nice to different race of people (I have a mixed family). Lots of countries are starting to lean right so I’m a bit scared moving somewhere where I don’t understand the native language since I saw how immigrants in US (and even people in their home country) like trump because they don’t get the whole picture and only know news through multiple transfers and biases.
Even if the current administration goes back to what it was I feel like the attack on science and overall direction of the people’s thoughts aren’t going to change overnight and it might be hard living as a scientist.
In academia, I would guess most Europeans consider race a social construct and not a lens through which one judges other people. Yes, we’re all leaning more and more right, unfortunately, but race is seldom a major part of what makes someone an Other. (But I do know it can be, my daughter-in-law is from Uganda). Outside academia… I would hope most Europeans are more informed than most trumpists.
Academia seems to have largely settled on English. Most graduate programs I have heard of are taught in English even if it’s not an official language of the host country.
CERN was designed to stop the brain drain to the US after WWII. Hopefully Europe (the world) realizes the opportunity in front of them.
Yeah, I have been hoping some countries would make lax immigration rules to capitalize on this situation. I know a lot of academics thinking of leaving, it’s just a bit hard with a family compared to moving alone.
Countries already have lax immigration laws for scientists. I immigrated to Europe and where I am scientists are fast tracked to the nice residency and aren’t made to learn the local language.
If your role allows remote work this may be an option: https://consnewyork.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/visti/visas-to-enter-italy/digital-nomad-remote-worker-visa/
Once living in a place it’s a lot easier to find work, but that may be less true for academics who commonly move for work anyways.
Thank you. This seems useful. Unfortunately I’m just finishing up my PhD, so I probably won’t qualify. Might have to search postdoc positions for now
Swiss. Though it needs a while until you can get a pass.
Ever been to Canada?
I’m worried about Canada as well because of the proximity. And there is a bit of brown hate going on there as well. It would have been nice options otherwise for ease of move/visa.
Well, you could try Ireland and have the ability to move elsewhere in the EU (such as Spain or Portugal) if things don’t work out there…. Start off with a different culture but the same language, and tackle language issues after the fact?
Norway is good if you get a job before moving. The weather, people, food and welcome is a bit cold, but life is good.
Yeah, I’ve been thinking Norway and Netherlands/Finland as good option if we have to do Europe. I don’t think the immigration policy is that open in those countries though. Do you have any knowledge about that?
I don’t know the details, but if you get hired for a position here while living abroad, you can get a work visa as skilled labour. That can later be converted to permanent residence after living here for some number of years and passing some language and/or culture test (I think). I know several people who have moved here either through work or university, including from the US. Best of luck no matter where you end up.
Food is cold?
At least the lunch, warm cantine food at work is unfortunately not as common here as in many other places.
Haha, yes, i believe the matpakke is still strong in Norway. (You don’t buy lunch, you bring your own two sorry slices of bread from home, often with the caramelly fake cheese «brunost»). Still, it’s not a bad place to live.
I’m pretty happy to see that Americans themselves are starting to see through the lie of “American Exceptionalism” that everyone else knew was propaganda decades ago.
Idk man. Have you been to rural America? They huff that shit still.
Well they aren’t likely to be the scientists, doctors, and other highly skilled intellectuals that other countries would gladly welcome as Ex-Americans.
The smell is similar to pigs shit too.
Hey remember the brain drain US caused Canada for the past few decades? Would be nice to get some back
Canada needs to recognise this opportunity and invest in science and healthcare. Relatedly, Canada needs to vote out the Conservatives provincially and federally.
The title doesn’t need the “of scientists” part.
According to how some here treat russian people these scientists shouldn’t be welcomed anywhere since the majority of americans voted for trump.
The majority of Americans did not vote for Trump. You can do the math.
-63.9% of eligible voters voted in 2024.
-48.9% of those voted for Trump.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/nx-s1-5222570/2024-politics-recap
Ya you’re right. Statistically most people never bothered to vote, which makes them complicit and worse than actual Trump voters.
Yall can pretend to be innocent bystanders. Instead I think you’re a big piece of the problem. Maybe if you actually voted we wouldn’t have Trump.
