Audrey Lin

Audrey Lin is an expert on ancient DNA who left a postdoctoral position at the American Museum of Natural History to join the University of Vienna in Austria in early 2026, as part of an Austrian Academy of Sciences programme designed to bring 25 US-based scientists to Austria for four-year fellowships.

"I ideally wanted to stay in the U.S. because my family is here and everything," Lin said. "But my priority is my work. I couldn't imagine doing anything else." As American universities and labs grappled with funding cuts and grant freezes, many halted hiring for new postdoctoral positions, pushing early-career researchers like Lin to look abroad.

Sibylle Wentker of the Austrian Academy of Sciences said interest in the fellowship program from American applicants was strong, with many candidates saying they did not want to remain in a country where the leadership had attacked scientists and impinged on academic freedom.