{
  "id": 15617346,
  "title": "‘I don’t think here is our home anymore’: Scientists are leaving America as Trump’s research cuts push them overseas",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/i-dont-think-here-is-our-home-anymore-scientists-are-leaving-america",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-19T14:16:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/19/scientists-leaving-us-trump-research-funding-cuts-brain-drain/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists are abandoning America in droves as President Trump's research cuts and political meddling drive them overseas. Halley Froehlich, who traces her family line back to the 1700s, moved with her family to Finland after experiencing delays in federal grants and growing concerns about the future of U.S. research. The Trump administration's efforts to exert more control over scientific funding and projects have created an atmosphere that discourages top talent from remaining in the country. Universities and professional groups report that top faculty members are leaving in droves, citing concerns about grant stability and academic freedom. Half of the American states have lost scientists to recruitment programs in other countries, according to a recent report. Early-career biomedical scientists are 20 percentage points less likely to say they would stay in the U.S., and physics Ph.D. graduates in 2025 left the U.S. at the highest rate in 30 years. Countries like Canada, France, Belgium, and Finland are actively recruiting U.S. researchers, who are attracted by more stable funding and academic freedom. The reputational loss as the top science nation is hard to quantify but could be damaging. Some American scientists, like Froehlich, are leaving for jobs in other countries where their values align more closely with their work. Others, like James Letts and Maria Maldonado, were recruited to Australia's Monash University after experiencing grant-related uncertainty in the U.S. Despite the loss of talent, the U.S. remains a science powerhouse with robust research communities and well-resourced institutions that continue to attract foreign scientists. However, the erosion of reputation and the talent drain may continue as the Trump administration cuts up to $174 billion in federal grants since the second term began.",
  "summary": "Foreign universities are recruiting U.S. researchers with promises of stable funding and academic freedom as scientists warn of a brain drain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}