The Trump administration has dismissed the entire National Science Board (NSB), an independent 22-member body overseeing the National Science Foundation (NSF), in a move that has sent shockwaves through the scientific community. Among those removed were three prominent scientists of Indian origin: Sudarsanam Babu, a leading figure in advanced manufacturing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Arun Majumdar, dean of Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability and a former US energy official; and Suresh Garimella, a noted thermal sciences expert and university president.
A Broader Assault on Science
The abrupt termination of the NSB, delivered via a terse email, is part of a wider dismantling of the country's scientific architecture. Over the past year, the administration has fired advisory panels, canceled more than 1,400 NSF grants, and proposed sweeping budget cuts to major research agencies, including reductions of over 50 percent to NSF funding and deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NASA's science programs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fourteen NSF advisory committees have been eliminated.
Impact on Research and Careers
The consequences are already being felt in laboratories and universities. Funding uncertainty has forced hiring freezes and cuts to graduate programs, constricting the pipeline of future researchers, many from India. For many scientists, the cumulative effect is prompting a difficult calculation: stay and adapt, or leave the US. Desi expat groups on social media are boiling with questions about relocation to India, including about children's schools and financial transfers.
Data on the Exodus
While specific numbers relating to India are not available, recent surveys suggest sentiment among foreign-origin scientists to quit America is gaining traction. A Nature analysis reports that roughly 75 percent of US-based scientists are considering opportunities abroad, with a 32 percent jump in international job applications compared to the previous year. More than 10,000 doctoral-level experts — about 14 percent of the federal STEM PhD workforce — left government roles in 2025 alone. Among early-career researchers, the numbers are even starker: about 80 percent of postdoctoral fellows and 75 percent of graduate students say they are contemplating careers outside the US.
Destination Options
The destinations vary. Europe, with its stable funding frameworks, is an obvious draw. Canada and Australia are actively recruiting. China, long a competitor for talent, has stepped up incentives for returnees, particularly in high-tech fields. India too is ramping up its calls with “return-to-India” invites like the Ramanujan Fellowship, Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, INSPIRE Faculty Scheme, and VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty Scheme.
Is the US Dimming Its Light?
Yet the exodus is not inevitable. The United States retains formidable advantages: world-class universities, deep private-sector investment, and a culture of innovation that has long attracted global talent. Still, for many in the scientific community, the concern is less about any single policy than about the erosion of norms in the Trump era. The question is whether the US, long the world's scientific lodestar, is dimming its own light — and whether others, like India, are already preparing to shine brighter, turning what was once a brain drain into brain regain.
About the Author: Chidanand Rajghatta is author of Kamala Harris: Phenomenal Woman.
