Scientists from outside Europe are also eligible to apply for a grant from the European Research Council (ERC). To attract more international top talent, the ERC decided last year to make additional funding available.

In addition to their regular ERC grant, researchers from outside the EU can receive an extra 2 million euros to establish a laboratory or research team in Europe. The scheme is open to scientists worldwide, but it is primarily aimed at American researchers.

The budget was increased when President Donald Trump launched an attack on academic freedom in the United States. Research on diversity, equity, and inclusion in particular has come under pressure. As a result, a growing number of academics are considering continuing their work elsewhere, including in Europe.

Sharp increase

According to the ERC, there has been “a sharp increase” in the number of applications from researchers in the United States. For the so-called “starting grants” for early-career researchers, the number rose from 116 last year to 169 this year. For the “consolidator grants” aimed at more experienced researchers, applications increased from 19 to 64. For the “advanced grants,” intended for top researchers, the number of applicants jumped from 23 to 114.

It is important to note that these figures concern applications. How many American researchers will actually receive funding remains to be seen. A successful application can provide an individual scientist with between 1.5 and 2.5 million euros in research funding.

Super grant

Last year, the President of the European Commission announced plans to invest even more money in attracting top researchers. A “super grant” would be introduced to fund seven years of research. It has now been unveiled that the grant will amount to 7 million euros.

In response to the Trump administration’s science-hostile policies, the Netherlands has also launched a 50-million-euro program to support threatened researchers from the United States and other countries. Dutch research funding organization NWO expects to announce by the end of June which researchers will receive funding from the so-called Tulip Fund.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.