Europe launches a drive to attract scientists and researchers after
Trump freezes US funding
[May 06, 2025] By
CATHERINE GASCHKA and LORNE COOK
PARIS (AP) — The European Union launched a drive on Monday to attract
scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new
policy plans, after the Trump administration froze U.S. government
funding linked to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“A few years ago, no one would have imagined that one of the biggest
democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the
pretext that the word diversity was in this program," French President
Emmanuel Macron said at the “Choose Europe for Science” event in Paris.
“No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the
world would delete with a stroke the ability of one researcher or
another to obtain visas,” Macron said. “But here we are."
Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University, European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would
set up a “super grant” program aimed at offering “a longer-term
perspective to the very best” in the field.
She said that 500 million euros ($566 million) will be put forward in
2025-2027 “to make Europe a magnet for researchers.” It would be
injected into the European Research Council, which already has a budget
of more than 16 billion euros ($18 billion) for 2021-2027.
Von der Leyen said that the 27-nation EU intends “to enshrine freedom of
scientific research into law” with a new legal act. As “the threats rise
across the world, Europe will not compromise on its principles,” she
said.
The White House responded by describing DEI as “an inherently
discriminatory policy.”
“If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide, rather
than focus on real scientific discovery, they should not be surprised
when U.S. innovation continues to outpace Europe,” said spokesperson
Anna Kelly. "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best
talent in science, research, and beyond.”
Macron said that the French government would also soon make new
proposals to beef up investment in science and research.
Last month, hundreds of university researchers in the United States had
National Science Foundation funding canceled to comply with U.S.
President Donald Trump’s order to end support to research on diversity,
equity and inclusion, as well as the study of misinformation.
More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far, including work to
combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting
with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in
Alaska’s Arctic region.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President
Ursula Von der Leyen attend the "Choose Europe for Science" event,
to encourage researchers and scientists from all over the world to
practice in Europe, at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Monday, May
5, 2025.(Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP)
 Some terminated grants that sought
to broaden the diversity of people studying science, technology and
engineering. Scientists, researchers and doctors have taken to the
streets in protest.
While not mentioning the Trump administration by name, von der Leyen
said that it was “a gigantic miscalculation” to undermine free and
open research.
“We can all agree that science has no passport, no gender, no
ethnicity, no political party,” she said. “We believe that diversity
is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of
the most valuable global assets and it must be protected.”
Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the
field of science and take advantage of U.S. policy shifts dovetails
with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals
with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked
a tariff war last month.
The former German defense minister, and trained doctor, vowed that
the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and
researchers face, notably excessive red tape and access to
businesses.
Macron said that science and research must not "be based on the
diktats of the few.”
Macron said that Europe “must become a refuge” for scientists and
researchers, and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere:
“The message is simple. If you like freedom, come and help us to
remain free, to do research here, to help us become better, to
invest in our future.”
___
Lorne Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Chris
Megerian contributed from Washington.
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