Norway has announced a 100m kroner (£7.2m) fund to attract top international researchers, as academic freedom comes under increasing pressure in the United States under the Trump administration. The Research Council of Norway said the initiative, launched on Wednesday, was designed to make it easier to recruit researchers from abroad, with a particular focus on those affected by substantial US funding cuts announced last month.
The scheme is open to researchers globally, but was expanded and accelerated in response to the US cuts. Norway’s research and higher education minister, Sigrun Aasland, said: 'It is important for Norway to be proactive in a demanding situation for academic freedom. We can make a difference for outstanding researchers and important knowledge, and we want to do that as quickly as possible.'
Aasland added: 'Academic freedom is under pressure in the US, and it is an unpredictable position for many researchers in what has been the world’s leading knowledge nation for many decades.' The Research Council said it would issue a call for proposals next month, covering areas such as climate, health, energy and artificial intelligence. The fund is set to run over several years, with 100m kroner earmarked for 2026.
Mari Sundli Tveit, chief executive of the Research Council, told broadcaster NRK: 'This is particularly relevant to the situation in the US. Academic freedom is under pressure and funding is being cut.' Other European countries have taken similar steps: France’s Aix-Marseille University has received nearly 300 applications after offering positions to US-based researchers, and former French president François Hollande has called for a 'scientific refugee' status. Belgium’s Vrije Universiteit Brussel has opened postdoctoral positions for Americans, and the Netherlands plans to launch a similar fund.
The announcement comes ahead of a visit to the White House by Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, and finance minister Jens Stoltenberg, with talks expected to cover security, defence, Ukraine, tariffs and trade.
