> research assistants or grad students in universities

These are not fully trained scientists, but rather trainees. As such, they don't get paid the same as a fully trained scientist. Like how a journeyman is paid more than an apprentice electrician.

Of course, they are also underpaid, too. Ask any grad student union.

> It's hard to replace this dynamic. Or in other words, the dollar value of the intangibles is so high that if you were to put a price on it, it would make your business unviable.

Yes, it's very hard to pay your workers a liveable wage if everyone else is exploiting their workers by underpaying them.

All you're saying is that we've built exploiting labor (foreigners, interns, trainees) into our economy.