Canada has joined a growing list of countries looking to take advantage of the turmoil in the U.S. scientific community and lure high-level researchers to its universities. The government’s 2025 budget, released yesterday, includes CA$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) for a suite of measures aimed at encouraging foreign scientists and graduate students to relocate.

The multiyear spending plan also calls for a 2% cut to the nation’s three major research funding councils. But that reduction is far smaller than the 15% cut researchers had feared was coming, and science advocacy groups generally welcomed the budget. It “demonstrates an encouraging commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers, bolstering Canada’s talent pipeline, and driving economic productivity through innovation,” Evidence for Democracy, an advocacy group, said in a statement.

In his budget speech, finance minister François-Philippe Champagne touted the effort to recruit foreign talent. “Canada is the best place to live, and top talent from around the world want to come here because they see opportunities and possibilities to contribute to cutting-edge research,” he said. “We will make sure that the best and brightest continue to choose Canada to innovate, invent, and grow our industry.”

The International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan calls for giving the nation’s three main research funding councils CA$1 billion over 13 years for an “accelerated research chairs” initiative to recruit exceptional international scientists to Canadian universities. The Canada Foundation for Innovation receives an additional CA$400 million over 7 years to fund research infrastructure “to ensure these [researchers] have the equipment they need.” There will also be CA$120 million over 12 years to support recruitment of international assistant professors, as well as CA$133.6 million over 3 years to help postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students relocate to Canada. However, the government also further reduced the number of international student visas that will be issued in the coming years, so it remains to be seen how many graduate students will be able to take advantage of the talent recruitment drive.

The funding is not specifically reserved for researchers from the United States, but the budget also includes a pledge to launch an accelerated immigration pathway for those who already hold U.S. H-1B visas, making it clear where the priority lies.

Canada’s U15 group of research-intensive universities welcomed the focus on attracting international talent. “In a moment when the global economy is undergoing a profound transformation and Canada is facing the urgent need to secure its economic future, today’s investment signals a decisive step toward reinforcing Canada’s position as a global destination for research excellence,” said Robert Asselin, CEO of U15 Canada.

The 2% cut to the funding councils will leave the promised increases from the 2024 budget largely intact. Given the pressure on Canada’s government to trim spending, that “should be considered a huge victory under the circumstances,” noted Alex Usher, CEO of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a consulting firm based in Toronto, in his budget analysis.

As part of Canada’s bid to boost defense spending, the budget also includes CA$68.2 million over 3 years to launch the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science, which will develop new technologies related to national security.