On March 7, scientists marched on Washington. Not for funding. Not for recognition. But for survival.
They held signs that read “Stand Up for Science”, echoing protests from Trump’s first term. But this time, the stakes are much higher. Researchers aren’t just worried about policy anymore. They’re worried about their jobs, their visas, and in some cases, their freedom.
The Trump administration has launched what many scientists are calling an all-out assault on American research. In just a few weeks, it has slashed funding across fields — from climate science to medicine — and pushed out thousands of federal employees. It also instilled a culture of censorship and obedience above all. The cuts come with a new message: science must serve the current administration, or it must go.
Meanwhile, universities outside of the US are opening their doors to those looking for a way out. For instance, also on the 7th of March, the Aix-Marseille Université in France announced Safe Place for Science. This is a €15 million ($16.2 million) initiative to host American researchers fleeing censorship and funding cuts. Within 24 hours, dozens of applications had already poured in.
An engineered crisis
“This isn’t chaos,” said Christina Pagel, a German-British professor at University College London, for The Guardian. “The attacks on research appear to follow a three-pronged objective: to forcibly align science with state ideology; undermine academic independence and suppress dissent; and maintain geopolitical and economic goals.”
Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, his administration has gutted virtually all research programs. He’s targeted NASA, the CDC, NOAA, and the NIH, among others. Grants are now frozen or canceled if they use “politically sensitive” terms — like “gender,” “equity,” or even “climate.” Academic freedom is no longer freedom.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, led by Elon Musk, has fired tens of thousands of federal workers. Many of these were scientists. These include epidemiologists tracking disease, statisticians generating key economic data, and engineers maintaining national labs. Some were rehired days later, after public outcry — like scientists working on bird flu or nuclear weapons. But the damage is done, and more damage is being done every week.
Experts call this a brain drain. But brain drain happens naturally, typically when people from one country flee to richer countries with more opportunities. This time, it’s not natural. It’s a purge.
Ideology is attacking science
Trump’s latest science policy isn’t just about spending cuts. It’s about narrative control.
His campaign vowed to “purge wokeness” from science and education. Since returning to office, he has targeted DEI programs and halted federal funding for institutions seen as promoting “left-wing indoctrination.” But his approach has not stopped at truly political topics. How is climate change political? How is believing in demonstrated vaccine science political? In all rational ways, it’s not. Yet, Trump’s administration has made it political.
Meanwhile, clinical trials have stalled. PhD programs are shrinking. Fulbright scholars have lost their stipends. At Michigan State University (MSU), plans for a new health research center are on hold. Thousands of jobs are imperiled, MSU said in a legal filing.
The last straw seems to be individual targeting of scientists. A few days ago, one French researcher was banned entry to the US for criticizing Trump. The administration also detained foreign researchers, including Mahmoud Khalil, whose green card was canceled. Legal experts called it dubious. Scientists called it chilling.
Trump has taken a wrecking ball to science and it’s working. It’s causing chaos and making scientists uncomfortable at the very least. Misty Heggeness, a former U.S. government economist, put it bluntly: “It’s really a devastating way to manage a business, and it’s a devastating way to manage the government,” Heggeness told Fortune.
Europe sees an opening
Previously, the brain drain had gone the other way. US universities tend to pay more and offer more generous financing for research, leaving Europe and other countries struggling to keep some of its best scientists. That trend, which had been ongoing for decades, has started to turn around in a matter of months.
Yasmine Belkaid, director general of the Institut Pasteur and a former immunology researcher in the US says she sees this every day.
“What we’re seeing is a strong desire for scientists from the United States to return to or leave for Europe,” she said in an interview with La Tribune.
“Every day I receive requests from people — French, Europeans, even Americans, who no longer feel able to conduct their research freely. You could call it a sad opportunity but it’s an opportunity all the same,” she added.
Other European institutions are also preparing. The Max Planck Society in Germany says applications from the US have doubled, in some cases tripled. This is not just about individuals. It’s about institutions. As Alexander Hurst argued in The Guardian, “The EU may lure not just American researchers, but American universities themselves.” There are already 29 American campuses in Europe. More could follow.
For science, this is bad news
Europe may make significant gains as can China and other economies skilled enough to draw talent. But it’s not just talent — it’s momentum. If scientists find more freedom, funding, and support, future breakthroughs will follow them there. In the big picture, however, this is bad news
The US’ pivot is probably bad news for everyone. A brain drain might sound like a reshuffling of talent. But for science, it’s a fracture.
When scientists leave, they don’t just pack up a laptop and lab coat. They take relationships, expertise, and years of hard-earned knowledge. Some leave behind half-finished experiments. Others walk away from long-term studies that no one else is equipped — or funded — to continue.
That break in continuity is catastrophic. Clinical trials halt midstream. Disease surveillance programs miss key signals. Climate models lose decades of calibration. Economic statistics — used by businesses, banks, and entire governments — fall into uncertainty because the people who knew how to produce them are gone.
Science is not a factory that can be shut down and reopened elsewhere. It’s a web of collaboration, trust, and accumulated insight. Snap enough of its threads, and it doesn’t relocate. It unravels.
