Concerns over delayed federal grants and fears about the future of scientific research in the United States have prompted some researchers to seek opportunities abroad. Foreign universities have responded by establishing programs to attract U.S. scientists, offering more stable funding streams and academic freedom.
Halley Froehlich, who studies how aquatic life responds to climate change, moved to the University of Helsinki in Finland after two years of grant delays in the U.S. She cited fears about future federal funding and the politicization of science under the Trump administration as key factors in her decision. Froehlich’s move was facilitated by an initiative from the Research Council of Finland, which provided her with five years of guaranteed funding.
"You can almost talk to any vice president for research at a university and they will tell you of one or two top faculty that they’ve lost," said Tobin Smith, senior vice president of government relations and public policy for the Association of American Universities. A report from the Business for Federal Research Funding Coalition indicates that more than half of U.S. states have lost scientists to recruitment programs in other countries.
Early-career biomedical scientists have become less likely to state they would remain in the U.S., according to a March study. Similarly, physics Ph.D. graduates in 2025 left the U.S. at the highest rate in 30 years, according to the American Institute of Physics.
Countries such as Canada, France, Belgium, and Finland are actively recruiting from U.S. institutions. Christine Stawitz, a former research software engineer at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, left her position due to concerns about climate change references being removed from websites. She described the situation in U.S. science as a topic of concern at international conferences.
International researchers who were drawn to the U.S. for its scientific reputation are also exploring opportunities elsewhere. Biologists James Letts and Maria Maldonado, formerly of the University of California, Davis, relocated to Australia’s Monash University. They cited grant-related uncertainty, including having to lay off staff due to stalled funding, as a significant factor in their decision.
"All I want to do is do great science and make discoveries, but I want my work to mean something as well. And the opportunity to do that seemed very difficult in the U.S.," Letts stated.
Immigrants have played a significant role in U.S. scientific achievements, accounting for 40% of Nobel Prizes awarded in science between 1901 and 2025. Omar Yaghi, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, recently left his position at the University of California, Berkeley, to lead an artificial intelligence lab at Tsinghua University in China.
While the U.S. remains a scientific leader, the exodus of talent and the potential erosion of its reputation are subjects of concern. The Trump administration has reportedly cut or frozen significant federal grant funding. A proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget could give political appointees more control over future project funding.
Major research institutions have reported a decrease in doctoral program applicants. Smith noted that when advising a young man impacted by these trends, his advice was to consider opportunities in Canada for the following year. Scientists who have moved abroad and those remaining in the U.S. worry about the long-term impact on the next generation of researchers, potentially leading to a decade or more before the full effects are realized.