Over 75% of scientists in the US have decided to leave the nation, viewing Europe and Canada as prime destinations. A report was unveiled on Thursday.
A survey by Scientific Journal Nature revealed that 75.3% of researchers are contemplating departing from the US following reductions in their research budgets. Nearly a quarter, 24.7%, did not share this sentiment.
The majority of researchers considering relocation are those in the early stages of their careers. Out of 690 respondents, 550 indicated they would exclude the US from their options, while 340 were Ph.D. students, with 255 echoing the same inclination as per the polls.
With support from the government’s Department of Efficiency, the administration, along with tech mogul and Trump adviser Elon Musk, has dismantled the entire agency and implemented reductions over recent months to decrease the federal government’s size and functions.
Some consequences of these cuts have impacted the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There, funds for various equity topics, including research on black maternal health and HIV, have been terminated. The cap for indirect costs on NIH grants was restricted to 15%.
A federal judge has recently mandated the NIH to stop its movements to cut funding for hospitals, universities, and various agencies following several lawsuits.
Former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sevelius expressed her concern regarding the recent reductions in NIH grants.
“I’m concerned about multiple issues,” Sevelius stated on Wednesday. “The type of cuts recently announced will be catastrophic and will reverse scientific progress and research.”
These reductions have also impacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which faced layoffs.
According to a Pew Research Center study, over 76% of Americans expressed high confidence in scientists’ efforts to serve the public effectively. This was released in mid-November last year. This statistic is a slight rise from October 2023, where 73% of participants indicated similar trust.
About 1,650 individuals participated in the nature survey. Details on the margins of error and survey dates were not provided by The Hill.
