Has Trump triggered US brain drain, the biggest since World War II?

The US might witness an exodus of researchers, if media reports and chatter on social media are anything to go by. The flight of scientists might be the biggest since scientists fled Nazi Germany. With President Donald Trump slashing research funding and increasing work visa scrutiny, European countries are planning to seize on the brain drain from the US. The US might be facing an exodus of researchers, reminiscent of the mass departure of intellectuals from Nazi Germany during World War II. Many top scientists, frustrated by funding cuts and increasing scrutiny of work visas, are considering relocating to Europe, Australia and Canada, where there are more stable opportunities. Countries such as France and Sweden are actively courting these scientists, positioning themselves as havens for independent research and trying to make the most of the brain drain. The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw billions in funding from premier research institutions such as the National Health Institute (NIH) has created an uncertain climate for many scientists. It has also led to attorneys general of 22 US states suing the Trump administration. Many American parliamentarians, member states, and companies have requested the European Commission to help the fleeing talent from the US, according to El Pas, a Spanish newspaper. In response, the Commission is assessing proposals and expanding initiatives to facilitate the transition of these researchers. Maria Leptin, president of the European Research Council, told the Financial Times that the environment in the US "is discouraging for independent investigator-driven research". For many scientists and researchers in the US, the future remains uncertain. Alex Kong, a US citizen working on malaria research at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), had his fellowship abruptly terminated in February. USAID has also seen cuts in its spending recently. Kong is now applying for positions worldwide, with Europe at the top of his list. "It [the US] doesn’t necessarily feel like the best place to be doing science or public-health research anymore," he told Nature, a British scientific journal. However, he acknowledges that securing a visa might be a challenge. Many researchers in the US are in a similar situation to Kong's."I’ve been really, really passionate about my work, but the situation in the US is so stressful," a postdoctoral researcher who studies cancer and genomics at a prestigious US institution told Nature.