A collective of over 300 researchers affiliated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a formal letter criticizing both the institution’s leadership and the Trump administration for imposing significant, politically-driven reductions in research funding. These cuts, they assert, have disrupted global collaborations, compromised scientific review processes, and led to layoffs of vital NIH personnel.
The researchers express their concern, stating, “We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety and faithful stewardship of public resources.” The letter references independent reports detailing the negative impacts of halted NIH trials and claims that the administration’s funding cuts have ultimately cost taxpayers more money. Since January, the administration has terminated approximately 2,100 NIH research grants, amounting to around $9.5 billion, along with $2.6 billion in contracts. The letter also highlights the fostering of “a culture of fear and suppression” among federal researchers.
Described as an act of “dissent” against the administration’s strategies, the letter cites NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya’s previous remarks during his congressional confirmation hearing, affirming that “Dissent is the very essence of science.”
Targeting Bhattacharya directly, the researchers recall his rise to prominence as a notable contrarian during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, he, alongside two colleagues, authored the “Great Barrington Declaration,” which advocated for the protection of the most vulnerable—particularly the elderly—while allowing the rest of the population to live normally, permitting the virus to spread largely unchecked.
Swift criticism of this approach followed, with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus branding it “unethical.” In a news briefing, he stated, “Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It’s not an option.”
“A risk”
In their letter dated Monday, the NIH researchers addressed Bhattacharya, expressing a desire for him to embrace their dissent, which they modeled after his previous declaration. This new communication has been dubbed “The Bethesda Declaration,” named in honor of the NIH’s location in Maryland.
“Standing up in this way is a risk, but I am much more worried about the risks of not speaking up,” said Jenna Norton, a program officer at the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “If we don’t speak up, we allow continued harm to research participants and public health in America and across the globe. If we don’t speak up, we allow our government to curtail free speech, a fundamental American value.”
The advocacy group Stand Up For Science, which is spearheading the dissent among NIH staff, also released a supporting letter on Monday. This letter garnered signatures from over a dozen Nobel laureates as well as former NIH directors Jeremy Berg and Joshua Gordon.
Tomorrow, Bhattacharya is scheduled to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee regarding the Trump administration’s proposed budget for the NIH in fiscal year 2026, which suggests a reduction of approximately 40 percent from the agency’s current budget of $48 billion.
