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Rabat – Aix-Marseille University, located between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille in the south of France, announced last week the launch of their program ‘Safe Place for Science.’ The program is designed to support American scientists and researchers in the wake of sweeping cuts in federal research funding and new restraints on scientific language introduced by the Trump administration.
The university says their goal is to offer “a safe and stimulating environment for scientists wishing to pursue their research in complete freedom,” with a focus on work related to climate, the environment, health, human, and social services. The initiative aims to fund around 15 scientists with a budget of €10 million over the course of three years.
In a LinkedIn post, Eric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University, said “the objective of this mobilization is clear: to defend the sciences and the humanities, essential to our understanding of the world and innovation; to promote academic liberty, research and the humanities, fundamental pillars of the advancement of knowledge; and to affirm the role of the University as the base of our democratic society, formed from the critical minds of tomorrow.”
Aix-Marseille University has already carried out similar initiatives through its previous collaboration with the Pause program, which supports artists and scientists in exile. The university has previously received researchers and artists from Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
As the new program advances, the university is working with local authorities to streamline a visa process for American scientists joining the program. The first participant, Andrea, arrived on Monday, March 10. As reported by RadioFrance, Andrea is a researcher specializing in infectious diseases and epidemics, with a focus on maternal and children’s health in Africa.
“The main impact of Donald Trump’s politics on my work is that he has created a climate of total uncertainty and fear,” Andrea told RadioFrance. “Even if I still have a job, even if I’m still receiving funds, there is no information about whether or not funding with continue.”
The funding cuts to research and the removal of mentions of climate change on federal webpages and in federal literature have troubled the scientific community. According to the Guardian, federal funding has been cut for any research using the word “climate,” both domestically and overseas.
One environmental scientist was advised to remove the word “climate” from the title of his thesis on climate-adaptation or else risk losing his grant. Kaarle Hameria, chancellor of the University of Helsinki in Finland, reports that descriptions of Fulbright grants, federal funds awarded to students undertaking international graduate research, have been altered to remove terms such as “climate change,” “equitable society,” “inclusive society,” and “women in society.”
Over the past couple of months, the new administration has terminated hundreds of federal scientists, voiced its commitment to block grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and outlined a goal to cut the National Science Foundation’s budget by two-thirds.
Aix-Marseille University’s initiative is part of a broader response to these policies. Though the program plans to host only a small contingency of scientists, the movement is larger. On Friday, March 6, thousands rallied across the United States in protests under the banner “Stand for Science.” Speaking to Courthouse News, Eric Berton, president of Aix-Marseille University, reiterated the urgency of the situation. “It’s the foundations of science that are under attack, but also the language used to understand and explain the world as it is. We hope that our initiative will be followed by other universities in France and Europe…We know that we will not be able to solve this alone,” he said.
