French researchers to Macron: Take care of us before wooing Americans

PARIS — Emmanuel Macron wants to turn France into an El Dorado for American scientists. But French researchers say he should take care of his own before trying to lure others.

Seeking to capitalize on concerns raised by United States President Donald Trump's campaign against higher education, the French president has gone on the offensive. Earlier this month, he announced a new platform called "Choose France for Science," which allows researchers in key fields like artificial intelligence, health and climate — some of which have seen funding cuts in the U.S. — to apply for millions of euros worth of financial support to continue their work in France.

In a clear jab at the Trump administration, the statement announcing the launch of "Choose France for Science" boasts that "academic freedom in France is central to our values."

But the initiative was quickly met with criticism and ridicule from French researchers who have been fighting for their universities to provide higher salaries and better working conditions to compete with their American counterparts.

French diplomat Gérard Araud said on X that while he was ambassador to the U.S., he “continually met French researchers who would have preferred to return to their home country but were stymied by the conditions offered there in terms of remuneration and laboratory facilities."

Boris Gralak, secretary-general of France’s largest union in scientific research, the SNCS-FSU, said the French government and its universities must "adjust the standard of living for French scientists to match that of their American counterparts" and address poor working conditions.

"If I have to get my computer fixed, I don't have a technician to help me. If I need to fill in a financial spreadsheet, it’ll take a week to get someone to assist with accounting," he said.

Direct salary comparisons are tricky. France’s welfare model covers more services, and gross wages often include benefits. Still, U.S. institutions generally offer higher pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary in U.S. universities — across all occupations — is $81,530, rising to $95,880 in competitive fields like computer and information research.

By contrast, a 2022 report by the French ministry of higher education said researchers in France earned on average around €60,000 annually, with a slight premium for those who also taught.

Macron made a similar pitch to American scientists when Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate agreement during the U.S. president's first term, but it's not clear if it worked. The French ministry of higher education did not respond to POLITICO’s request for data on how many people took Macron up on the offer.

If money talks, does free speech walk?

Paying for any relocations could prove politically messy, as the government is looking at €40 billion worth of tax hikes and spending cuts to bring France's budget deficit down to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product next year.

Despite the economic hurdles, Paris hopes to draw talent in by depicting itself as a champion for academic freedom — and there are some early signs it's working.

Aix-Marseille University in southern France, the first French institution to launch a so-called Safe Place for Science program aimed at American researchers, has already seen more than 300 scientists apply for around 20 research grants.

Aix-Marseille president Eric Berton said he was surprised to see several senior researchers apply, even though it sometimes meant uprooting their families. He stressed that grants and salaries offered to incoming researchers would be aligned with those currently paid to staff at the institution.

“The candidate’s primary motivation is to work at a university where their academic freedom is respected and their research is valued,” said Berton. “It’s not a question of wages.”

That doesn't mean money isn't front of mind, especially given that relocating a top-level researcher with a team costs around 1 million euros for three years, France’s Minister for Higher Education Philippe Baptiste said in an interview with French media.

The French minister emphasized that France aimed to take the lead, but that attracting scientists should eventually become a European-level effort.

The European Union is indeed trying to position itself to attract U.S. researchers. The bloc's scientific body, the European Research Council, is putting money on the table, allowing researchers based in the U.S. a €2 million premium in grants to relocate for a total of €4.5 million in funding.

Gralak, the scientific union leader, warned that devoting specific funds to bring American scientists runs the risk of creating a two-tier system. But he said so long as French and American researchers are granted equal wages for equal work, France has "a duty to express solidarity, to welcome researchers who are in danger and scientific research that is in danger."

"We demand that scientists who are in danger in their research or whose research is being obstructed be welcomed," he said.