75.3 % of American scientists consider the possibility of leaving the country after changes in research caused by the new administration of the president, Donald Trump, according to a survey conducted by Nature to which more than 1,600 readers of the scientific publication answered.
Europe and Canada are among the main options to move in case of leaving the country, says Nature on its website.
The publication made a survey among his readers in which he asked: Are you an American researcher who is considering the possibility of leaving the country following science disorders caused by the administration Trump?
More than 1,200 scientists who responded to the survey, that is, three quarters of the total respondents, answered affirmatively.
The trend is especially pronounced among researchers who begin their career. Of the 690 postgraduate researchers who responded, 548 were considering the possibility of leaving; 255 of 340 doctoral students said the same.
The Trump Government “has cut the financing of the investigation and has paralyzed broad stripes of science funded with federal funds, within the framework of an initiative to cut expenses throughout the government led by the billionaire Elon Musk”, Says Nature.
Many of the respondents considered moving to countries where collaborators, friends, family or where they were familiar with the language.
“Any place that supports science,” wrote one of the respondents cited by Nature. In addition, some who had moved to the United States for reasons of work thought to return to their country of origin.
Nature adds that “many more scientists had not considered moving, until Trump began to cut funds and dismissing researchers.”
In that sense, he quotes a student graduated in an American university who pointed out: “This is my home: I really love my country”, but many of their mentors have told them to leave “right now.”