A new Nature poll reveals a mass exodus may be looming for US scientists, as 75% are seriously considering leaving the country due to the Trump administration’s cuts to federal science funding. The survey included responses from over 1,200 scientists.
Europe and Canada were mentioned as top destinations. One respondent stated they would consider “anywhere that supports science.”
The trend is most prominent among early-career researchers. Specifically, 548 of 690 postgraduate researchers and 255 of 340 PhD students are considering leaving.
The Trump administration, under a cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk, has slashed research funding and halted federally funded science. This has resulted in mass firings and rehires of tens of thousands of federal employees, including scientists, following a court order, with additional mass firings threatened.
Immigration enforcement and conflicts over academic freedom have further destabilized US research with uncertainty.
