On June 9, more than 300 current and former employees from every institute and center (IC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) signed and published the Bethesda Declaration to protest the Trump Administration’s politicization of science and science funding to the agency. Written as a formal letter to NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the declaration – remember the Great Barrington Declaration? – urges him to protect NIH against attacks that threaten to undermine its ability to fulfill its mission, waste public resources, and harm Americans’ health. At the time of sending this newsletter, the number of signatories on a letter supporting the declaration was up to 27,572.
The letter was also sent to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and various members of Congress who serve on committees with jurisdiction over NIH. The declaration echoed many of the concerns raised by the broader scientific community in the months since President Donald Trump took office for a second time.
The authors accuse the Trump Administration of setting aside academic freedom and rigor to pursue a political agenda and call on Dr. Bhattacharya – who has emphasized since his appointment the importance of maintaining “a culture of respect for free speech in science and scientific dissent at the agency” – to right many of the wrongs inflicted on NIH by the administration. The authors urge the Director to cease interruptions to foreign collaborations; restore peer review; hold political appointees to the same standards as other NIH scientists; rescind the arbitrary 15 percent cap on indirect costs; and reinstate employees irresponsibly and indiscriminately fired by the administration.
In particular, the declaration states that, in addition to implementing indiscriminate grant terminations and funding freezes to punish certain universities, NIH is now censoring research based on political preferences, including research addressing:
- Health disparities
- COVID-19, long COVID, and immunization
- Health impacts of climate change
- Gender identity, sexual health, and the needs of intersex people
- Broad participation in biomedical research
The declaration specifically cites the cancellation of over 2,100 federal research grants, highlighting that, in direct contrast to Dr. Bhattacharya’s stated goals, these terminations:
- Throw away years of work and millions of dollars
- Shirk commitments to participants
- Risk participant health
- Damage hard-earned public trust
Those interested in joining the support letter can sign here.
While it is unlikely that the declaration will spur a sudden pivot in the administration’s disruptions to NIH, stating publicly and clearly the arguments of the research community, and the principles behind them, challenges the facade of reason from the administration. What is unclear to the stakeholder community, and possible to the Director himself, is how much power he has to make these critical decisions about the agency. At minimum, the declaration puts concerns of potential consequences on the record in a meaningful way, establishing that leadership both within and outside of the agency, have the opportunity to reverse damaging changes and minimize additional harm.
