"According to data from the European Research Council (ERC), applications from the United States for its starting, consolidator and advanced grants to individual researchers - each worth up to €2.5 million (US$5.3 million) over five years - rose by 120% in its most recent round of calls, compared to an overall rise in applications of 17% (see Choosing Europe below)."
"The surge in demand could be another sign that a brain drain might be underway out of the United States, where thousands of research grants have been cut in the year since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. "No doubt the uptick is a direct result of the Trump administration's science policy, and in particular, its attacks on universities and academic freedom." says Kenny Evans, a researcher in science policy at Rice University in Houston, Texas."
"Advanced grants - for established principal investigators - saw the greatest leap in applications, nearly quintupling from 23 to 114 applications. The ERC does not routinely publish information on the nationalities of applicants, but Kieron Flanagan, a science-policy researcher at the University of Manchester, UK, says that he suspects many of these senior researchers are Europe-born or Europe-trained, and are "opting to use the ERC grant as a mechanism to escape the US system"."
Applications from US-based researchers to European Research Council starting, consolidator and advanced grants rose 120% in the most recent round, compared with a 17% overall increase. Each grant offers up to €2.5 million over five years, and newly eligible relocating researchers can receive an extra €1 million for relocation plus funds to establish laboratories. An ERC spokesperson reported increased interest from US-based researchers. Observers attribute the surge to US funding cuts and perceived attacks on academic freedom under the Trump administration. Advanced-grant applications nearly quintupled, prompting concerns about Europe's capacity to absorb additional senior researchers without heightening competition.
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