Hundreds of NIH staff publish the Bethesda Declaration

About 340 NIH employees released the Bethesda Declaration on June 9, 2025, a dissent letter addressed to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. It said staff dissent from administration policies that undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources, and harm public health. Jenna Norton was a lead organizer. A separate public support letter on the Stand Up For Science site later drew more than 31,000 signatures, including 69 Nobel laureates. Bhattacharya said he welcomed dissent but disputed the letter's claims.