OTTAWA — Canada has recruited 64 scholars, 48 of them from U.S. institutions, Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced Thursday. The new hires will receive more than 500 million Canadian dollars over an eight-year period.
The recruitment is part of Canada's Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, a program valued at 1.7 billion Canadian dollars designed to attract leading researchers to the country. The academics come from Harvard, Cornell and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with expertise spanning medicine, engineering and climate science.
The timing reflects growing concerns among U.S. researchers about the Trump administration's approach to federal funding for elite universities and the allocation of scientific grants. Several departing academics cited academic freedom as a factor in their decision to relocate.
Phillip Zamore, an RNA biology researcher from the University of Massachusetts, said, "I cannot do my best work in America." He cited difficulties recruiting talent and concerns about researchers' safety. Ethan Zuckerman, a media scholar, is leaving the University of Massachusetts Amherst to join McGill University in Canada.
Joly made the announcement at the University of British Columbia. "While certain countries are cutting research and turning their back on academic freedom, we're doubling down on science and research," she said.
When asked whether President Trump might view the hirings as an escalation of trade tensions, Joly said Canada was acting independently. "The U.S. administration is taking its own decisions and we're taking ours," she said. "We're very glad that these fantastic professors are coming."
The University of British Columbia hired nine of the new researchers. President and Vice-Chancellor Benoit-Antoine Bacon said the university is "delighted to welcome these nine exceptional researchers, whose work will have important and meaningful impact."
The University of Toronto will hire six researchers. President Melanie Woodin said, "This vital government support is helping Canada build an extraordinary foundation of research excellence during an uncertain international landscape."
