STAT+: NIH staffers published a letter of dissent a year ago. They feel it’s been ignored

STAT PlusPolitics NIH staffers published a letter of dissent a year ago. They feel it’s been ignored New report by Bethesda Declaration authors cites peer review changes, low morale Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Anil OzaJune 9, 2026 General Assignment Reporter Anil Oza[email protected]Anil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the NIH and health equity. You can reach him on Signal at aniloza.16. Last June, hundreds of staffers at the National Institutes of Health broke rank in an unprecedented move and published an open letter of dissent to agency director Jay Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya eventually met with many of the signers of the so-called Bethesda Declaration, who hoped it would spur a course correction at an agency they saw as going down a problematic path. But in a report published Tuesday, on the one year anniversary of the letter, 71 staffers write that they feel NIH leadership “largely ignored the concerns raised in our declaration.” Advertisement The new report, called “The Bethesda Declaration One Year Later, Continuing Harms to the NIH Mission,” outlines nine main concerns, with proposed solutions. It is also a response to the sentiment that “things are normalizing and getting better,” said Jenna Norton, a program officer at the NIH who emphasized she was speaking in her personal capacity. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In NIH, research, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Anil Oza General Assignment Reporter Anil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the NIH and health equity. You can reach him on Signal at aniloza.16. Newsletter Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day Recommended Politics June 9, 2026 STAT Plus: Trump’s health care affordability czar touts Medicaid cuts to hospital leaders Politics June 9, 2026 A leader of the 2014 U.S. Ebola response compares then to now Advertisement Health June 9, 2026 Alcohol study discarded by Trump officials is published in scientific journal Health Care Inc. Newsletter June 8, 2026 STAT Plus: UnitedHealthcare’s lactation billing feud, and fake strokes Politics June 5, 2026 STAT Plus: What stripping civil service protections for thousands of federal workers will mean for HHS Subscriber Picks