Canada poaches dozens of top US researchers for its universities

Canada is aggressively recruiting top-tier researchers from US institutions, many of whom will be moving from prominent universities such as Harvard. Over three-quarters of the 64 professors relocating to Canada are from the United States. A Canadian government program will provide these scholars with financial support of C$504m (approximately $362m; £268m) for research projects in areas like climate change and medicine.

This initiative comes as tensions between Canada and the US escalate, with US President Donald Trump's administration accusing US universities of harboring left-wing ideologies, diversity policies, and failing to address campus antisemitism. The White House and US Department of Education have been contacted for comment, but the administration's actions, including freezing federal research grants for various institutions and groups, have contributed to a climate of uncertainty that is attracting researchers to Canada.

Meanwhile, Canada is asserting its global influence as it engages in a trade war with the US, most recently over tariffs. One climate researcher, Seth Guikema, has chosen to relocate to Canada in part due to the increasingly challenging research environment in the US. Guikema plans to use C$8m to develop tools for better preparing for natural disasters at the University of Western Ontario.

The government's spokesperson stated that Canada is pleased to welcome these distinguished scholars, but the US administration maintains it is making its own decisions. Some of the chosen researchers were born and raised in the US, while others are Canadians who returned home after working abroad. Peter Caravan, a former biopharmaceutical researcher and professor, expressed emotion at the announcement, highlighting the importance of his new work at the University of British Columbia in detecting illnesses like cancers and chronic diseases.

Critics argue that the US administration's cuts to major grant agencies and politicization of funding have made US universities less attractive for scientists. Other academics, like Steven Lamy, agree that the funding situation is a "generational disaster" for science and researchers.