The UK has become the latest country to launch a recruitment drive for international researchers following Donald Trump’s assault on US science funding.

Two months after French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled a €100 million (£86 million) “Choose France for Science” campaign, ministers in London have launched a five-year funding package to help universities to target elite researchers working in high-priority areas.

A £54 million “global talent fund” will cover relocation and research costs for “world-class” researchers and their teams to move to the UK. Administered by UK Research and Innovation and delivered by research organisations, the fund will also cover full visa costs.

�ճ���� came ahead of the publication of the UK government’s industrial strategy, although the talent scheme has been widely discussed in Westminster since early May after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen directly appealed to disgruntled US scientists at a conference held at Sorbonne University in Paris.

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The European Union’s effort to become a “magnet for researchers” involves €500 million (£424 million) of funding until the end of 2027, which will cover seven-year “supergrants” of up to €2 million.

Research institutes in  have also launched schemes targeted at US scientists affected by Trump’s defunding of US research.

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The launch of a UK scheme, which will begin in 2025-26, follows the announcement of two new research grant routes including £30 million from the Royal Society’s Faraday Discovery Fellowship, and the Royal Academy of Engineering’s international fellowship.

With the Turing AI fellowships and AI for science fellowships, a total of more than £115 million has been dedicated to attracting scientific talent to the UK, the government said.

Science secretary Peter Kyle said the new funding intitiative would send out a strong message to international researchers seeking to move.

“My message to those who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is simple. We want to work with you, to support you, and to give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from,” he said.

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“The UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to fertilise brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries,” he added.

The UK government has also launched a “global talent task force”, which it says will support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and top tier managerial and engineering talent to relocate to the UK.

The task force, which will report directly to the prime minister and chancellor, will advise on efforts to expand eligible institutions for the High Potential Individual visa, as explained in the recent White Paper on immigration, as well as broader moves to recruit global talent in science and technology sectors, the government said.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the task force will make sure “Britain is the best place in the world to do business – we are a strong, connected market and have a lot to offer the best and the most inventive minds.”

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“Competition for elite global talent is high, and by establishing this task force we are solidifying our position as the first choice for the world’s brightest sparks, as well as turbocharging innovation in medicines and inventions of the future, boosting British business and putting money in working people’s pockets,” he said.

Daniel Rathbone, deputy executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), said it was important that the task force looked at attracting the top people at all stages of their research careers as “today’s early career researchers are tomorrow’s Nobel Prize winners”.

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jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com