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The threat to #academics' livelihoods at universities including #Yale, #Columbia & #JohnsHopkins has given #Europe's political leaders hope they could reap an #intellectual windfall.

A letter, reviewed by Reuters, signed in March by 13 European countries including #France, #Germany & #Spain, urged the #EU Commission to move fast to attract #academic talent.

The European Research Council, an #EU body that finances #scientific work, told Reuters it would double the relocation budget for funding #researchers moving to the EU to €2 million ($2.16 million) per applicant. That goes towards covering the cost of moving to a European institution, which may involve setting up a laboratory.

In #Germany, as part of coalition talks for a new govt, conservatives and Social Democrats have drawn up plans to lure up to 1,000 #researchers, acc/to negotiation docs from March seen by Reuters that allude to the upheaval in #US higher learning.

Reuters spoke to 13 European #universities & #research institutes that reported seeing an increase in US-based employees considering crossing the Atlantic, as well as half a dozen US-based #academics pondering a move to #Europe.

"Regulatory #uncertainty, #funding cuts, #immigration restrictions, & diminished international collaboration create a perfect storm for #BrainDrain," said Gray McDowell at…Capgemini Invent.

…#Europe's political leaders feel the stance of the #Trump admin has put wind in their sails.

"The American government is currently using brute force against the #universities in the #USA, so that #researchers from #America are now contacting Europe," #Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said.

…Aix Marseille University in #France told Reuters it had received interest from 120 researchers at institutions in the US, including #NASA & #Stanford, for a €15-million “safe space for #science” program launched on March 7. The initiative aims to attract #US staff from fields including #health, #LGBT+ #medicine, #epidemiology & #ClimateChange.

"Our colleagues were frightened...It was our duty to rise to the occasion," university director Eric Berton said, noting 10 European #universities have contacted him about launching similar programs.

In the #Netherlands, the govt wants to establish a fund to attract top foreign scientists & bolster the #EU's 'strategic autonomy' aims, #Education Minister Eppo Bruins said in a letter to parliament on 20 March.

#Eindhoven Tech President Robert-Jan Smits said bringing in #US scientists could boost #Europe's #technological sovereignty in areas like #semiconductors.

#Belgium's sister #universities Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Université Libre de Bruxelles launched a scheme encouraging US-based #researchers to apply for 36 postdoctoral positions. And the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which promotes the exchange of top scientists to #Germany, plans to increase its programs by ~20%.

The Grantham Institute at Imperial College #London, which specialises in #ClimateChange #research, is creating at least 2 more research fellowship posts for early-career #climate researchers from the US & has already seen an clear uptick in applications, said its Director of Research, Joeri Rogelj.