France is launching a new initiative to attract top American AI researchers with government support, as the US cuts federal research funding and European countries step in to lure scientists.
Attracting U.S. Scientists: France’s New Initiative
France has launched an initiative called ‘Choose France for Science‘ from the National Research Agency, aiming to attract funding proposals from international researchers, including those from the United States.
Europe’s Response to Reduced Funding in the U.S.
As the Trump administration cuts federal research funding, European countries are stepping in to lure American scientists. The reduction in U.S.-based research funding has led some scientists to seek opportunities abroad. France’s initiative positions itself as a defense of academic freedom and invites universities and research organizations to host international scientists, with projects potentially co-funded up to 50 percent by the French government.
‘A smart move’ said Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief A.I. scientist, has praised France’s initiative, calling it a ‘smart move‘ by President Macron. ‘A smart move’, he said. LeCun, who received the Turing Prize in 2018 alongside Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio for pioneering work in neural networks, moved from France to the U.S. in 1988 to conduct machine learning research at AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey.
Yann LeCun is a French computer scientist and director of AI Research at Facebook.
He is best known for his work on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and the development of the backpropagation algorithm.
LeCun was awarded the 2018 Turing Award, often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Computing', for his contributions to deep learning.
He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Paris XI and has published over 150 papers on AI and machine learning.
A Growing List of Destinations
Some scientists are already one step ahead. A recent poll of 1,650 U.S. researchers conducted by the science journal Nature found that 75.3 percent of respondents were considering leaving the country amid research disruptions caused by the Trump administration. Europe and Canada ranked highest among potential destinations, especially for early-career researchers.
France has emerged as a likely contender, with its ‘Choose France for Science‘ initiative drawing praise from LeCun. The nation’s Aix-Marseille University has launched a program to attract American researchers, already drawing more than 135 eligible U.S. applicants. Meanwhile, the ARC Foundation, a French cancer research organization, recently pledged €3.5 million ($4 million) to support U.S. scientists continuing their work in France.
Other European countries are also rolling out the welcome mat. In Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel has opened a dozen postdoctoral spots for international scholars, with a focus on Americans. And in the Netherlands, Education Minister Eppo Bruins is reportedly planning a new fund aimed at drawing international scientists in response to the shifting geopolitical landscape.
