Over 90 NIH staff members have publicly expressed dissent against the leadership of Jay Bhattacharya, responding to perceived harmful policies from the Trump administration. Their letter criticizes actions such as terminating grants and disrupting collaborations, asserting these decisions undermine public health efforts. Dubbed the 'Bethesda Declaration', the letter emphasizes the importance of thoughtful policy changes over political motivations, portraying the staff's deep concern for the mission of NIH. Director Bhattacharya acknowledged the dissent while defending recent NIH directions and emphasizing the value of respectful debate in science.
The Bethesda Declaration has some fundamental misconceptions about the policy directions the NIH has taken in recent months, including the continuing support of the NIH for international collaboration.
The life-and-death nature of our work demands that changes be thoughtful and vetted. We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety.
Collection
[
|
...
]