In a covert reaction to the Trump administration’s reductions in research funding and modifications to science policy, a top official stated Monday that the European Union will invest €500 million ($567 million) over the next three years “to make Europe a magnet for researchers”.
French President Emmanuel Macron was more blunt in his remarks, referring to recent moves by “one of the largest democracies in the world,” including the cancellation of hundreds of research funds, as “a mistake.” He was speaking alongside Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm.
The two European leaders gave speeches at the “Choose Europe for Science ” event at the esteemed Sorbonne University in Paris.
Regretfully, there are currently concerns about the place of science in the modern world. There are concerns about funding basic, open, and free research. In a speech that omitted any reference to the US, European Commission President von der Leyen declared, “What a gigantic miscalculation. Von der Leyen and Macron’s remarks come after a series of adjustments to US scientific policy since Trump took office.
The National Science Foundation, a federal organisation tasked with promoting scientific advancements, for instance, declared last month that it would revoke hundreds of grants for initiatives involving, among other things, research on diversity, equity, and inclusion, “vaccine information integrity,” and misinformation and disinformation.
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