Bhattacharya responds to Bethesda Declaration as NIH staff dissent

NIH staff have signed the Bethesda Declaration, accusing agency leadership of undermining science. But Bhattacharya and HHS say the claims are misguided—and that reform is essential to restore rigour.

On June 9, 2025, federal employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a pointed public statement - the Bethesda Declaration - challenging the agency’s direction under its new director, Dr Jay Bhattacharya.

Signed by 336 individuals—including 93 NIH staff who identified themselves and 243 others anonymously—the declaration accuses the agency’s leadership of undermining its scientific mission and compromising key partnerships with international collaborators.

The signatories allege that long-standing programs are being dismantled without transparency, peer review is being disrupted, and internal dissent is being marginalised.

But many of those claims are disputed by Bhattacharya and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who say the reforms are necessary to strengthen scientific standards and restore accountability.