Top US astrophysicist Kelly Holley-Bockelmann leaves for the Netherlands
The gist
Astrophysicist Kelly Holley-Bockelmann left the US for the Netherlands after Trump policies affected her work.
She is among 34 scientists joining a €50 million Dutch recruitment fund.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2025Zhang, 57, a renowned astrophysicist and expert on gamma-ray bursts, left the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to become founding director of the Hong Kong Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Hong Kong.
- Jul 7, 2026The Dutch education ministry and science funding body NWO said most of the 34 leading scientists coming to the Netherlands through the new €50 million fund were moving from the United States, with Holley-Bockelmann among the first arrivals.
- Nov 7, 2026Holley-Bockelmann left the US after Trump's policies affected every part of her work, arriving at the SRON space research institute in Leiden, where a handwritten note on her desk read: 'We are thrilled to welcome one of America's great scientists.'
Key terms
- NWO
- The national research council of the Netherlands, which funds scientific research at Dutch universities and institutes through grants and programs.
- SRON
- The Dutch national institute for space research, focused on astrophysics, Earth observation and exoplanetary research and sensor technology.
- brain drain
- The emigration of highly trained or educated people from their home country, representing a net loss of talent.
Source: Wikipedia