The Research Policy of US President Donald Trump Could Bring Top Researchers to German Science
US President Donald Trump’s research policy could bring a surge of top researchers to German science, according to Patrick Cramer, the president of the Max Planck Society (MPG). The MPG received double the number of applications from the US for the latest leadership positions in research groups compared to the previous year, the “Spiegel” reported. To offer these individuals a perspective and strengthen the MPG at the same time, the society plans to create additional group leader positions with additional funding, Cramer said.
Trump is sending “signals of intimidation” to the scientific institutions of the country, Cramer stated. Many US colleagues are unsettled, fearing that only the research Trump wants to promote will be supported and that unwanted scientists, whose work does not fit into his worldview, may have to reckon with cuts. Climate and earth system research, gender research and research on infectious diseases are particularly under pressure, Cramer said.
The National Institutes of Health are currently not reviewing new grant applications and even approved funds are being frozen and re-examined for their themes. This is a clear violation of scientific freedom, as the theme selection is the responsibility of the researchers, not the White House, Cramer told the “Spiegel”.
In the spring, the MPG president plans to visit San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, where he will meet people from the US science community as well as many from the US politics. “What we need to do now is to keep talking to each other” he said. He will also specifically address several prominent figures who, in the current political climate, might be interested in a move to Germany. While he could not yet name the individuals, Cramer said that there are some “who make my eyes sparkle.