Trump Policies Could Send International Talent Elsewhere, Hobbling U.S. Science

For decades, the United States has been a magnet for talent, attracting some of the world’s best scientific minds to its universities and laboratories.

But deep cuts to research funding and the cancellation of grants that the Trump administration finds objectionable could weaken American higher education’s standing, dealing a blow to its ability to attract and retain top graduate students. Already, a number of colleges have reduced or paused admission to doctoral programs because of the uncertainty.

Because academe and science in this country are substantially dependent on a steady influx of bright young scholars from around the globe, President Trump’s policies could have a disproportionate impact on overseas recruitment of Ph.D. students. Forty-three percent of full-time doctoral students in STEM fields are on student visas.

Over the past two decades, the number of science and engineering doctorates awarded to temporary-visa holders has risen by 114 percent, according to the National Science Foundation. During the same period, degrees to U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased by 59 percent.

In a number of critical fields, international students are the majority: They account for 64 percent of doctoral recipients in computer and information sciences, 57 percent in engineering, and 54 percent mathematics and statistics.

“They’re a very large part of the Ph.D. ecosystem,” said Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools.