The European Union on Monday launched a sweeping initiative to position itself as a global refuge for scientists and researchers, offering €500 million in new “super grants” and legal protections for academic freedom.
The move comes in direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest crackdown on federal research funding tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — a decision that has prompted outrage in the academic community and growing unease among America’s allies.
The new EU program, unveiled at the “Choose Europe for Science” summit in Paris, is more than a pitch for top talent — it’s a geopolitical signal. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took the stage at Sorbonne University to declare Europe open to those being sidelined elsewhere.
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“A few years ago, no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this program,” Macron said. “No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete with a stroke the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas. But here we are.”
Von der Leyen followed with an equally pointed message: “We can all agree that science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity, no political party. We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected.”
A $566 Million Bet on Global Talent
Under the new plan, the European Commission will inject €500 million ($566 million) into the European Research Council between 2025 and 2027. The goal is to provide long-term, stable funding for researchers, including those now being pushed out of U.S. institutions, while removing the bureaucratic bottlenecks that often hamper scientific work in Europe.
Von der Leyen, a former German defense minister and trained physician, said the EU will also introduce new legislation to enshrine the freedom of scientific research into law — a direct contrast to growing political interference in the United States. She also vowed to tackle other known obstacles to innovation in the EU, such as excessive red tape and limited collaboration with private industry.
“The threats rise across the world,” she said. “Europe will not compromise on its principles.”
The offer to global scientists, especially those affected by recent U.S. policy shifts, is part of a much broader pivot by the EU and its allies away from Washington’s sphere of influence, a slow but deepening rupture set in motion by Trump’s America First doctrine.
Trump’s War on DEI Sparks Global Fallout
Trump’s executive order in March to terminate all federal funding for DEI-related research has already resulted in the cancellation of more than 380 grant projects by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Among the defunded initiatives were efforts to combat misinformation, track climate change in Alaska’s Arctic with Indigenous communities, and fight online censorship in countries like China and Iran.
Some projects were aimed at simply broadening the demographics of people pursuing careers in science, engineering, and technology — a goal many experts argue is essential to sustaining innovation.
The White House defended the move as an effort to end what it called “inherently discriminatory policies.”
“If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide, rather than focus on real scientific discovery, they should not be surprised when U.S. innovation continues to outpace Europe,” said Trump spokesperson Anna Kelly.
But while Trump frames DEI initiatives as a political liability, much of the world views them as fundamental to a healthy and competitive research environment. The backlash among U.S. and EU academics has been swift. Scientists, researchers, and medical professionals have staged protests in major cities and accused the administration of ideological censorship.
“To undermine free and open research is a gigantic miscalculation,” von der Leyen said.
The Long Arc of Transatlantic Drift
The EU’s pivot on science policy fits into a larger pattern that has been unfolding quietly over the past eight years, one that sees U.S. allies rethinking their reliance on Washington.
Since taking office in January, Trump has reignited a trade war, imposed tariffs on key European imports, and refused to endorse multilateral cooperation on issues ranging from climate change to pandemic preparedness. His previous term saw the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, alienating even close partners.
Many in Europe now believe the old transatlantic compact cannot survive a second Trump presidency intact. What once looked like a temporary rift has matured into a fundamental reassessment of the West’s internal alliances. The EU is now pursuing trade deals independently, increasing defense collaboration without NATO, and — in this latest move — building its own scientific ecosystem no longer reliant on U.S. institutions.
Von der Leyen’s speech reflected that thinking. By making Europe “a magnet for researchers,” she is not only reacting to the U.S. policy vacuum but exploiting it.
A Message to U.S. Scientists: Come to Europe
Macron, who has sought to style himself as a global statesman amid the Western power shift, issued a direct appeal to American researchers.
“To those who feel under threat elsewhere: the message is simple,” he said. “If you like freedom, come and help us to remain free, to do research here, to help us become better, to invest in our future.”
Macron also announced that France would soon unveil new policies to ramp up investment in science and research at the national level, although no details were provided.
For both leaders, the campaign is not just about scientific output. It’s about values. The EU is betting that it can win over disillusioned scientists by offering not only money but also the moral high ground.
However, while the move marks a major step in breaking away from the U.S.-led scientific research order, it is believed that the success will depend on how fast European institutions can reform their own flaws, including slow visa processes, fragmented national funding, and poor industry linkages.