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By Ewan Palmer
News Reporter
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Three-quarters of scientists are considering leaving the U.S. because of President Donald Trump, according to a poll.
The survey, conducted by Nature, found that 75 percent of researchers have considered moving abroad because of "disruptions" to science initiated by the Trump administration.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
The Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have faced backlash and legal challenges for major cuts to federal spending. This has included thousands of job losses at public health and science agencies and billions of dollars of overheads in grants for research being cut.
The poll results suggest the federal cuts may be partly responsible for potential departures of scientists and could hinder the appeal for people wanting to study or work in the U.S. moving forward.
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What to Know
On March 13, Nature encouraged its readers to take part in a survey to determine whether scientists are planning to leave the U.S.
The first question asked "are you a researcher in the U.S. who is considering leaving the country following the disruptions to science prompted by the Trump administration?
The survey's questions were also shared on social media and in the Nature Briefing email newsletter.
Of the 1,608 respondents who answered whether they are researchers planning to leave the U.S, 75 percent responded "yes."
The results show that those who have recently started their scientific careers or studies are especially eager to leave. Of the 690 postgraduate researchers who responded, 548 said they were considering leaving, as well as 255 of 340 Ph.D. students.
When asked about preferred destinations, the most popular choices were Canada and Europe.
One respondent said that if they left the U.S., they would like to go "anywhere that supports science."
A student specifically cited the loss of research support when the Trump administration shut down funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development as a reason for wanting to leave.
Others said they felt compelled to leave after the administration took steps to slash and freeze funding and research grants issued through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
A recent Guardian article said certain European institutions had noticed increased interest from U.S. academics, namely in the fields of climate science and public health.
What People Are Saying
One Nature survey respondent said: "I am faculty and want to stay as long as I can to support my lab and students, but if the NIH is dramatically cut, we may not have a choice to stay in the U.S."
A graduate student who works in plant genomics and agriculture said: "This is my home—I really love my country. But a lot of my mentors have been telling me to get out, right now."
One researcher told Nature: "From what I'm hearing from the places we're talking to, and other people who are looking to take international jobs, a lot of universities in these countries are seeing this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. I think it has gone from 'Can we recruit a few people?' to 'How many people can we actually take?' — because the demand is there."
Elon Musk in February 8 post on X, formerly Twitter: "Can you believe that universities with tens of billions in endowments were siphoning off 60% of research award money for 'overhead'? What a ripoff!"
What Happens Next
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning to dismiss 10,000 employees as part of the Trump administration's cost-cutting mandate.
This will include around 3,500 jobs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 jobs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world's leading public health research agency.
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