In a direct response to the US cut in research funding, the European Union has announced a major investment of over €500m to boost science and attract researchers from around the world.

The announcement comes at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken a series of measures to limit or cancel funding for research related to diversity, disinformation and climate issues.

At the “Choose Europe for Science” event held at the Sorbonne University in Paris, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep concern about the course America is taking towards science.

Macron openly criticized the United States, saying: “No one could have imagined a few years ago that one of the world’s greatest democracies would cancel research programs simply because the word ‘diversity’ was on the agenda.”

on der Leyen, on the other hand, called this approach a big mistake.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing that the role of science in today’s world is being called into question. Investment in basic, free and open research is being called into question. What a huge miscalculation.”

The reactions come after the US National Science Foundation announced the cancellation of hundreds of grants covering topics such as equality, vaccine information and the fight against disinformation. Meanwhile, a recently published budget proposal by the Trump administration includes cuts to funding for climate change research as well as the closure of an institution dealing with nursing research.

In this context, the EU aims to establish itself as a global center for science, in the face of what it sees as the US retreating from the principles of free and evidence-based research.