The Bethesda Declaration Movement
The Bethesda Declaration was released on June 9th 2025, and it spurred a movement both with NIH workers and outside. This is the homepage for all things Bethesda Declaration. See below to find a link to
1.) Bethesda Declaration in the News
2.) The Bethesda Declaration: One Year Later
Bethesda Declaration Timeline
Bethesda Declaration: One Year Later In the News
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Inside Health Policy: "Bethesda Declaration" Authors Lament Destruction of NIH One Year Later
Read the article about the Bethesda Declaration: One Year Later by Inside Health Policy
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Stat News: "NIH staffers published a letter of dissent a year ago. They feel it’s been ignored"
Read the article Stat News Published about the Bethesda Declaration One Year Later
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Government Executive: "A year after sounding the alarm, NIH dissenters say political influence is entrenched at research agency"
Read the piece government executive wrote about the BD One Year Later
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Science: "NIH's destruction continues, Bethesda Declaration signers"
Read Science’s article on the Bethesda Declaration One Year Later
The Bethesda Declaration: One Year Later
One Year after the Bethesda Declaration, Bethesda Declaration Organizers author a 30+ page report on the changes to the NIH and surrounding academic community over the last year. The concerns outlined by authors boil down to the following 9 points
Concern 1: An anti-science agenda is disrupting research for health advances and cures
Concern 2: Discriminatory policies are worsening disparities
Concern 3: Ignoring ethical standards has put research participants and the public at risk
Concern 4: An unstable research environment is undermining scientific advances and public trust
Concern 5: Lost critical expertise is hindering the NIH mission
Concern 6: Changing policies without staff input is creating foreseeable damage
Concern 7: Cumbersome and shifting processes are wasting resources and harming health
Concern 8: Disruption of global research is endangering people in the United States and around the world
Concern 9: A culture of fear and low morale is eroding scientific integrity
Despite a culture of fear and low morale, 73 individuals anonymous and signed contributed to this effort.
Endorsing Organizations
Read the Original Bethesda Declaration
The Bethesda Declaration was a letter composed by current and former NIH workers, and email to Jay Bhattacharya. This letter outlined 5 main concerns including politization of research, interruption of global collaboration, undermining of peer review, the enactment of a 15% indirect cap, and the firing of NIH staff. This letter was hosted on stand up for science’s website and collected over 36,000 signatures. 27 UNIHTED is now hosting a copy of the Declaration letter on their website on the release of the Bethesda Declaration.