US climate scientists increasingly choose Germany amid Trump-era academic cuts
Clean Energy Wire
Climate and environmental research institutions in Germany have noticed a marked uptick in interest from candidates from the US since the start of Donald Trump’s second term as president, reported Tagesspiegel Background.
The news service surveyed major research institutions in Germany. In 2025, the Humboldt Foundation, an institution that facilitates international academic cooperation, recorded almost a third more (32%) applications from the US for funding programmes than in the previous year. Similarly, applications for the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) “Study Scholarship in Germany” programme from US-Americans more than doubled in 2025 relative to 2024.
“Until now, many automatically looked to the US for the next step in their scientific career, but this is currently changing,” said a spokesperson for DADD to Tagesspiegel Background.
Alongside a rise in the number of US candidates, there has also been a notable uptake in candidates from countries in Asia like India and China. Research institutions have linked this trend to Trump’s decree on so-called H-1B visas. Fees for the scheme that allows highly skilled workers to stay in the country have been raised to 100,000 US dollars per person, wrote Tagesspiegel Background.
The US has moved to cut funding for environmental programmes in the country as part of a wider campaign to repeal environmental oversight and regulation. German researchers have previously spoken out about the need for Europe to take a stance against the pro-fossil-fuel politics championed by the Trump administration.