Majority of Polled Scientists Considering Leaving United States, Signaling “Brain Drain”

Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.

After an onslaught of funding cuts, firings, and cancelled programs as a result of Trump administration actions, scientists in the United States are feeling targeted. That’s according to the results of a poll published by Nature. 

In the poll, 75.3% of 1,600 respondents, at least 1,200 of whom were scientists, said they were “considering leaving the country following the disruptions to science prompted by the Trump administration.” 

“This is my home—I really love my country. But a lot of my mentors have been telling me to get out, right now,” one U.S. graduate student who lost her stipend when the Trump administration canceled funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told Nature. “I’ve been looking very diligently for opportunities in Europe, Australia, and Mexico.”

“The ‘brain drain’ is happening,” wrote Brian Romans, a geoscientist at Virginia Tech, on Bluesky.

the 'brain drain' is happening — assuming the U.S. weathers this storm and the current regime is ousted electorally in the near future, I will be listening to candidate's plans for reinvigorating science in the U.S. — the damage being done is significant, the plan to fix will need to be ambitious

— Brian Romans (@clasticdetritus.bsky.social) 2025-03-27T14:34:01.600Z

The trend was especially strong among early-career scientists: 79.4% of postgraduate researchers who responded said they were considering leaving, as well as 75% of Ph.D. students. These groups are also feeling the brunt of funding changes that have affected undergraduate training programs and graduate admissions.

Losing scientists hinders the country’s ability to remain competitive in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, fields on a global scale, according to a 2024 National Science Board report. The board pointed out that even before the Trump administration took office, the United States was at risk of struggling to retain talented scientists or attract researchers from abroad.

Universities in other countries are taking note: This month, a French university announced the Safe Place for Science, a three-year program meant to bring 15 American scientists to its campus.

I would leave in a heartbeat. But contrary to what most folks might think, there are precious few jobs for someone with specialized expertise.

— Valentin Rodionov (@arbitraryeffect.bsky.social) 2025-03-27T15:21:00.510Z

—Grace van Deelen (@gvd.bsky.social), Staff Writer

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