27 UNIHTED / NIH Vigils Newsletter 8/9/26

Written By Cara AB

Hi NIH Vigilers and 27 UNIHTED Community,

Here are this week’s important updates.

Vigil “Auntie” News 

- The Good -

Articles of Impeachment Introduced Against Russell Vought

Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove introduced articles of impeachment against Russell Vought for “abuse of power” and “failure to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.”  Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, has repeatedly made claims that he wants to put the federal workforce “in trauma.” The introduction of the articles is a huge win for many civil servants who have been advocating for Vought's impeachment for months. 

Bethesda Declaration Organizers Stand with Dr. Fauci

Bethesda Declaration organizers released a letter of support for Dr. Anthony Fauci on 27 UNIHTED's website early Thursday morning, ahead of the vote to hold him in contempt of Congress. More than 70 signatories showed public support for the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, rejecting the misinformation and attacks on science that drove the vote. ‍

Additional good news:

NPR Outlines the Case Against the Lab Leak Hypothesis

A National Public Radio report supports the scientific consensus that an animal-to-human spillover was the most probable cause of the covid pandemic.

Food and Drug Administration Approved New Flu Vaccine

The FDA approved Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, mFLUSIVA. The vaccine should be available for people ages 50 and older starting this fall.

New NIH Mentorship Legislation Introduced in the Senate

Senators Dave McCormick and Chris Coons introduced the NIH Mentorship Modernization Act to “strengthen the scientific workforce pipeline by creating consistent mentorship standards across all NIH career development and research training programs.” 

27 UNIHTED Releases Three New Posts 

27 UNIHTED released three new Substack posts: one looking at disparities in success rates at NIH over the last year, one concerning the Bethesda Declaration one year later, and another looking at the impact of bans on policy informing research at the NIH. 

- The Bad -

Freedom Lecture Installment

In Dr. Jay Bhattacharya's August 6 installment of his scientific freedom lecture, the NIH director platformed an “evolutionary biologist” who spoke about her inaccurate two-sex theory of gender. This is the third in a series of “Scientific Freedom Lectures.” The first installment in this series was Matt Ripley speaking about the origins of SARS CoV2. Carole Hooven, the speaker at the third and most recent talk, left her faculty position at Harvard in 2021 following an interview on Fox and Friends. During the interview, she stated there are only two sexes, for which she received extensive backlash from her peers and those at Harvard University because her statements were seen as harmful, especially to the queer and trans community. Some brave Vigil Aunties asked meaningful questions during the talk at NIH, and 27 UNIHTED circulated a fact-checking thread debunking some of her inaccurate statements in real time. 

One-Year Anniversary of the CDC Shooting

One year ago, on August 8, there was a shooting at CDC headquarters. An armed member of the public fired nearly five hundred rounds at civil servants and killed one police officer, David Rose. We remember Officer Rose’s service and honor those whose lives have been impacted by this violence, which is driven by political attacks on public health and science. If you'd like to show support to the CDC community during this time, please visit the National Public Health Coalition's (formerly Fired But Fighting) merch shop, donate to the CDC Mutual Aid Network, or send kind wishes directly to current CDC workers at P.O. Box 15580, Atlanta, GA 30333. 

Potential New NIAID Director

Politico reported that Steven Quay, a proponent of the unsupported SARS CoV2 lab leak theory, is slated to take the director position at NIAID. His beliefs stand in stark contrast to the leading scientific theories that state that SARS CoV2 originated from an animal-to-human spillover, and led to the initiation of the pandemic from the Wuhan market. According to Politico, this hiring decision was made by RFK Jr., as NIH staff did not recommend Quay for an interview, but NIH is said that NIH would have signed off on the order to hire Dr. Quay last week.  NIAID has been without a permanent Director since HHS fired the prior Director, Jeanne Marrazzo, who was appointed in 2023.  Dr. Marrazzo has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was illegally fired after she complained that cuts to research grants were harming patients enrolled in clinical trials as well as public health. 

- The Ugly -

Contempt of Congress, the Farce

The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted 8-7 along party lines to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt of Congress for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights 111 times rather than answer questions already covered by his Biden-era pardon on the grounds that answers could be used to press criminal charges against him. Chairman Rand Paul says he will skip a full Senate vote and send the contempt referral straight to the Department of Justice. 

NIH Terminating Grants Again

NIH Director Bhattacharya began terminating health disparities grants, with a suggestion of more to come.  One terminated grant at Emory University was examining the effects of discrimination on brain activity. Two grants canceled last week at the University of Pittsburgh were studying the effects of socioeconomic and neighborhood factors that affect health, with one focusing on cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease.  NIH claimed that the grants were not using “measurable health outcomes” or “solution-oriented approaches” and, therefore, did not align with NIH priorities.  These terminations impact clinical work and patients, waste millions of dollars in federal funds, and harm and erode trust in science in the very communities that are more likely to experience worse health outcomes.

Trump Planning Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism

A source close to the Trump Administration said that an executive order about vaccines and autism may be released next week.  The Administration and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have repeatedly questioned the safety of childhood vaccines and suggested that vaccines are linked to autism, an idea that has been repeatedly debunked.  In January 2026, the CDC reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11; however, a judge in Massachusetts granted a stay in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and other medical and public health groups against HHS.  In December 2025, the World Health Organization released an analysis of vaccine safety, which reaffirmed that there was no causal link between vaccines and autism. 

K99/R00 Grants Will No Longer Support International Researchers

K99/R00 grants (Pathways to Independence Awards) will no longer be available for supporting international researchers with non-permanent residency status in the United States. These grants were the only NIH career transition opportunity open to non-green card holders or non-U.S. citizens, which means yet another opportunity is closing for the U.S. ability to attract and retain top talent conducting research on health and diseases affecting Americans.  

Leadership Watch

New Director of NHGRI

Judy Cho will take the helm of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).  We are encouraged by this appointment, as Dr. Cho has a reputation as a great scientist and appears to be highly qualified. 

Upcoming Events

27 UNIHTED / NIH community events

  • Weekly NIH Vigil every Saturday at 10:00 am. Join us next week, on August 15, 2026, for a very special climate change-focused NIH Vigil!

  • Weekly peer empowerment call every Thursday at 6:00 pm

Community Events

  • 8/14, 10:00 am - 11:00 am - NIH videocast:  Understanding NIH's Unified Funding Strategy: What the Research Community Needs to Know.  This new policy approach was announced last November and multiple IC Directors offered their perspectives in February.  Register through this form link. 

  • 8/18, 1:30 pm - NIH Small Business 101.  NIH is hosting a free webinar series on small business funding opportunities (SBIR/STTR) on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm ET.  The last, "Managing Foreign Risk," will occur on August 18.

Calls To Action

*NEW* Submit a Comment About the Proposed Autism Strategic Plan

Submit a public comment showing your concern with the proposed strategic plan by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) before the August 27 meeting.Comments are due August 20. To submit a public comment to the IACC, send an email to IACCPublicInquiries@mail.nih.gov. Comments should be included in the body of the email or attached as a Word document. 

*NEW* Sign the SUFS Petition Supporting Dr Fauci.

According to Stand Up for Science (SUFS), it is likely illegal that the Republicans on the Senate panel referred the contempt resolution to the Justice Department without a full-Senate vote. On August 7, 2026, SUFS published a petition to Congress to rescind the contempt referral to the Justice Department immediately.

Submit Ideas for Future NIH Common Fund Priorities

NIH is seeking public input on cross-cutting biomedical and behavioral research challenges that could be addressed through workshops, pilot initiatives, or future NIH Common Fund programs.  Direct inquiries to: Common Fund Office-Office of the Director (OD), cf-ideas@mail.nih.gov. Responses are due September 19, 2026. 

Endorse the Bethesda Declaration - One Year Later

A year after the release of the original Bethesda Declaration, NIH staff remain concerned.  The chaos of 2025 has been replaced with coordinated, systematic, institutionalized destruction in 2026.  If you share these concerns, be counted as a supporter of the Bethesda Declaration: One Year Later.  Learn more about the Bethesda Declaration Movement on 27 UNIHTED's Bethesda Declaration Hub.

Impeach Vought

Add your name (or anonymous voice) on the petition to urge Congress to impeach Office of Management and Budget (OMB) DirectorRussell Vought for unlawfully dismantling government services Americans rely on.  Learn more at www.impeachvought.com/

Stand with EPA scientists

More than 100 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees were fired for signing a Declaration of Dissent raising concerns about their working environment and recent policy changes.  Sign the petition to support these silenced staff members who were retaliated against for speaking out to protect science and public health.

Sign on for Scientific Integrity

The Union of Concerned Scientists has drafted a letter of support for the Scientific Integrity Act, which has been reintroduced to the Senate.  Let our leaders know that evidence-based decision-making is important to you by signing The Momentum for Scientific Integrity Action here.

Stand up for the National Science Board

On April 25, the Trump administration dismissed all sitting members of the National Science Board, an independent advisory group for the National Science Foundation.  Sign this open letter to Congress from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine (NASEM), asking for the reinstatement of fired members and appointments for all vacant positions.  27 UNIHTED has added its organizational endorsement.  Currently at 3,590 public endorsements.

Reach out to your members of Congress about issues that matter to you. 

Some possible topics:

Help the NIH Community:  Review a resume, host a job workshop, plan a happy hour, volunteer, and/or advocate with 27 UNIHTED.  Check out the links on our website to take action and volunteer. 

Wellness Weekly

Our somewhat serious community recommendations for self-care are:

  • Watch a long movie

  • Listen to your favorite album

  • Play a video game or board game

In solidarity,

27 UNIHTED and NIH Vigils

Cara AB
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27 UNIHTED / NIH Vigils Newsletter 8/2/26