American researchers want to move to Europe, but lower salaries are a deal-breaker for most, according to Rüdiger Hesse, a Brussels research policy veteran who now specialises in matching scientists from abroad with European host institutions.“They are willing to look to Europe and willing to come, but you have to understand their personal needs. It’s difficult for them to have a 40% cut in salary,” he tells Science|Business. Hesse spent 25 years working on European research policy as the head of the Max Planck Society’s Brussels office. He was a key advocate for establishing the European Research Council (ERC), now a prestigious fund for scientists the EU is using to lure talent from abroad. Since leaving Max Planck, he has been helping scientists, mostly from the US east coast, relocate to Europe by matching them with host institutions. “I’m a bridging person,” Hesse says. Until recently, this was not an easy sell. But since Donald Trump’s administration started wreaking havoc on the country’s research community, some US-based scientists have become more open to the prospect. As interest rose, the EU responded with invitations for US researchers to bring their expertise the bloc. Offers currently on the table include a €2 million top-up for ERC grants to cover start-up costs in Europe and a €100 million co-fund for projects in France.But Hesse says the offers are missing a key point: most European countries cannot match US salaries and, for most scientists, taking a big pay cut to move continents is out of the question. In the US, a junior researcher may earn as much as $150,000 a year, an unheard-of sum in most European research organisations. Even prestigious multi-million-euro ERC grants are a difficult sell. While researchers from abroad get extra funding to set up shop in Europe, local and institutional regulations often dictate their salary ceilings. “Even with an ERC grant, they are bounded by salaries,” says Hesse. “A €1.5 million grant from the ERC may still only give a small salary.”For the very top scientists, research organisations may be willing to splurge. But they cannot do this often, nor for less experienced scientists. This differs by country. Hesse says the UK and Switzerland may offer bigger salaries to some but in most EU countries, even those with higher pay grades such as Germany, a salary matching US standards is a tall order. Some have very strict rules. In Slovenia, for example, researchers’ salaries are governed by rules applied to public servants. Despite an update to the law in 2022, there are still limiting factors. For example, a researcher paid through an EU project may not get more than twice as much as the official paygrade for their role.With US research funding in a shambles, scientists are facing more pressure and may be willing to sacrifice some financial freedom for a safer research environment, but Hesse says the salary issue must still be rethought. “If we want to have good American scientists, we have to get more relaxed regulations for salaries,” he says. Even if governments agree, this will not be a quick fix. National regulations would take a while to change, and exceptions can be difficult to justify. In theory, the EU could offer to match US researchers’ salaries if they move. But this could quickly cause problems if American researchers are prioritised. “For very good people and even rising stars, this has to be explored, but it’s not a solution that can be equal for everybody,” says Hesse.The good news is that talent is global. The need for skilled researchers is high, but the EU does not have to hyper-focus on the US. Hesse has noticed more and more talented researchers coming to Europe from south-east Asia: “The quality and willingness for work is great, and I see a lot of people in my networks increasingly going there to find junior researchers.”Read More
Salaries are the biggest hurdle in bringing US scientists to Europe
