France and EU to incentivise US-based scientists to come to Europe

France and the EU are to step up their efforts to attract US-based scientists hit by Donald Trump’s crackdown on academia, as they prepare announcements on incentives for researchers to settle in Europe.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, alongside the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will make speeches on Monday morning at Sorbonne University in Paris, flanked by European university leaders and researchers, in which they are expected to announce potential incentives and protections for researchers seeking to relocate to Europe.

The event, bringing together European academics and European commissioners, is the latest push to open Europe’s doors to US-based academics and researchers who fear their work is threatened by federal spending cuts for universities and research bodies, as well as the targeting of US higher education institutions over diversity policies.

Monday’s event, titled Choose Europe for science, comes after 13 European countries, including France, Germany and Spain, wrote to the European Commission urging it to move fast to attract academic talent.

France launched its own Choose France for science initiative in April with a dedicated platform for applications to host international researchers.

In France, Aix-Marseille University launched its “Safe place for science” programme in March. It will receive its first foreign researchers in June.