Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch) • Hacker News Board

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#21

Post by greenavocado » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:14 PM UTC

The article has failed to prove that anybody has taken the bait and left.

> For the researcher, the qualities must, from an international perspective, far exceed what is customary within the international peer group. The institution receives a maximum of €1 million per researcher for the next five years.

Let's be generous and assume you are one of the chosen ones. Your institution will take 20% off the top leaving with you 1million×.80/5 or 160k EUR per year.

After income taxes, your take home pay is €90,868.00 or $103k USD. Not bad for the average man, but not good for a top researcher like they want.

EUR 160k works out to about $182,640. For that level of income in a top tier institution in a state with an income tax like Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD you would take home $121,565, or 15% more.

https://thetax.nl/?income=160000&startFrom=Year&selectedYear...

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#22

Post by HelloUsername » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:14 PM UTC

Another news article in English: https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/07/top-us-scientists-come-to-n...

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#23

Post by pastor_williams » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:14 PM UTC

adam_beck wrote: post #3

Top researchers in what?

From what I can tell

AI, quantum, vaccines, cancer, Alzheimer's, mental health, nuclear energy, climate, food security, astrophysics, democratic resilience

There isn't a full list of fields or researchers because of privacy or not all researchers have told their current institutions about the change.

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#24

Post by vincnetas » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:14 PM UTC

luma wrote: post #8

This reads more like The Netherlands hopes to bribe US researchers into moving to the Netherlands.

why do you call paying someone legally a "bribe" ?

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#25

Post by 28304283409234 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC

moffkalast wrote: post #5

adam_beck wrote: post #3

Top researchers in what?

Top. Men.

And top women: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/07/07/opeens-mochten-we-woord...

Cancer researchers, climatechange, food production, astrophysics, democracy, mental health, Alzheimers, ...

Basically all over the board. But don't worry - you folks still have a president that understands sports really..... REALLY well. /s

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#26

Post by lefra » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:16 PM UTC

mono442 wrote: post #4

Isn't much of the science work just taking money for doing basically nothing? I don't think that is a loss for the us.

It's not for doing nothing, it's for fooling around at the edge of knowledge. Sometimes, very useful stuff emerges.

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#27

Post by greenavocado » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:16 PM UTC

Herring wrote: post #14

America is like a trust fund baby given all the advantages and then the baby goes "fuck it, life is too hard, I am just going to do coke and die early”.

I think you meant to write "boomers."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1trcILsBHkE

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#28

Post by 28304283409234 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

greenavocado wrote: post #21

The article has failed to prove that anybody has taken the bait and left. > For the researcher, the qualities must, from an international perspective, far exceed what is customary within the international peer group. The institution receives a maximum of €1 million per researcher for the next five years. Let's be generous and assume you are one of the chosen ones. Your institution will take 20% off the top leaving wi…

Assume you are correct, and the Dutch offer a terrible proposition. Yet still they come.

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#29

Post by tasuki » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:20 PM UTC

est31 wrote: post #18

goldenarm wrote: post #2

The US is accidentally conducting Operation Paperclip but in reverse. Who will benefit the most from it, China or Europe ?

China is not very immigration friendly to non-han folks, but I guess chinese researchers won't make it to the US and this already will have a great effect on the chinese economy. Europe is in its own set of problems and it is not in the same situation that US used to be after WW2 (only major economy not affected by bombing). Europe's problems: * active major war in Ukraine (lasting longer than Axis/Soviet war in WW2)…

> China is not very immigration friendly to non-han folks

What do you mean? I've never been to China, but know quite a few non-han white Europeans who lived there for both shorter and longer periods of time. Some studied, others worked there.

Re: Top researchers leave USA for the Netherlands (in Dutch)

#30

Post by ericmay » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:21 PM UTC

vincnetas wrote: post #24

luma wrote: post #8

This reads more like The Netherlands hopes to bribe US researchers into moving to the Netherlands.

why do you call paying someone legally a "bribe" ?

In the US we sometimes use the term “bribe” in morally neutral or even positive situations.

It just means giving someone money or a different incentive to convince them to do something they weren’t going to do or were undecided but considering doing and the extra incentive is the catalyst for making the decision.

We also have the legal concept of a bribe but the OP probably wasn’t using it in the legal sense - I.e. accusing the Netherlands of doing something illegal.