France Poaches Dozens of Scientists From the US

A new initiative out of France has poached dozens of scientists from the US, reports Nature. The French government announced that it has awarded grants to 46 academics under its Choose France for Science push, and 41 of them will be relocating from the US. They were not identified, but eight will be leaving Columbia University, one of the institutions hardest hits by research grant freezes under the Trump administration. France launched its push last year, promising funding and what officials describe as stronger protections for academic freedom. The new arrivals span fields from math to astrophysics to climate science.

The story notes that France isn't alone: The European Commission counts 101 programs across the continent aimed at importing research talent, and applications to the European Research Council from US-based scientists have more than doubled in a year. CNN previously reported that at least 85 scientists in the US were leaving for China, most of them Chinese-born.

Nature adds context to all this, noting that "a few dozen vacating scientists are unlikely to make a large dent at US academic institutions," which have more than 1.5 million faculty members. Still, the French numbers suggest that "enthusiasm and morale for doing science is low" in the US, according to retired National Institutes of Health official Sharon Milgram.