As US research jobs vanish, scientists consider relocating

As the Trump administration moves to slash federal funding for research, the threat to academics' livelihoods at universities including Yale, Columbia and Johns Hopkins has given Europe's political leaders hope they could reap an intellectual windfall. The European Research Council said it would spend up to $2.16 million to help an individual science researcher relocate to a European institution, which could involve setting up a laboratory.

Class discussion: Should the country cut scientific research to save money? Why or why not? How does research affect the nation’s health and safety? What scientific advances led to new products, businesses and jobs? US research universities attracted some of the world’s most brilliant minds. Will that continue? Could losing scientists to other countries give them a competitive advantage over the United States? Would you move to another country for a job?