The “Cure” for This Administration’s Scientific Priorities: Defend Responsible, Ethical Research and Respect Academic Freedom By Jennifer Troyer, Jenna Norton and Alice Popejoy (all opinions our own)

Jay Bhattacharya, Matt Memoli and others in this admin have weaponized the term “DEI” in incoherent ways that deeply and fundamentally harm science.

Was honored to work on this with Jennifer Troyer & Alice Popejoy. open.substack.com/pub/sciencea...

Today is the anniversary of the April 1 RIFs at NIH and HHS.

Thinking of my colleagues who lost their jobs last year.

These cuts did no improve efficiency. They undermined the functioning of our government.

Made a short video as a response. 3 questions remain for me.

1) What is the definition of a "DEl activity," and how is it being communicated to NIH staff so they can determine whether a grant qualifies?

(Continued below)

Honored to have this chance to stand up for science!

Hope to see you there… or be together in spirit at National Day of Action rallies across the country.

When research is halted and scientists are sidelined, people suffer, discoveries are delayed, and public trust is eroded. That is why, on Monday, I brought this complaint to the Office of Special Counsel.
katzbanks.com/news/nih-sci...

Statement from the Civil Servants Coalition on the State-Sanctioned Murder of Renee Good A guest post from a broad and informal coalition of civil servants concerned about how the current administration is harming Americans

“As federal workers, we have a front-row seat to the harm a lawless administration inflicts on the American public. On January 7, 2025, that harm yet again took its most devastating form in the murder of Renee Good…”

open.substack.com/pub/sciencea...

The NIH has lost its scientific integrity. So we left “We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity,” write four scientists and administrators who recently resigned from the NIH.

NIH is losing so may good people. First they were fired or RIFd or pressured to retire early.

Now they are leaving because “no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity.”

Proud to know these brave scientists!

www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/n...

In researching this piece, I was genuinely shocked and deeply concerned at just how many people with ties to the Brownstone Institute have been given scientific roles by this administration.

Trump's NIH canceled a study on how structural racism adds to genetic risk in kidney disease, saying it “didn’t show a sufficient return on investment.”

To Robert Sanchez, this showed "how some in this country devalued my life and the lives of people in my community." www.ajkd.org/article/S027...

N.I.H. Worker Who Criticized Trump Health Policies Says She Is on Administrative Leave

Now a national news story as it must be, @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social placed on admin leave; not a household name for her title but should be for her courage to speak out in *her personal capacity* in defense of NIH's mission via The Bethesda Declaration and beyond.

🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

Today @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social was placed on administrative leave from her position at the NIDDK, NIH. We are extremely concerned and horrified at the actions of this adminstration and the NIH. Dr. Norton has been speaking out in her personal capacity about destruction occurring at the NIH.

🧵🧵🧵

Jenna Norton on Instagram: "I guess I hit a nerve because they just put me on “non disciplinary” admin leave. But let me be clear: this is retaliation for asserting my right to free speech guaranteed ... Asserting your right to free speech in the workplace can be a daunting task, but one man's determination has put him in the spotlight. Hear his story and learn how to stand up for your rights in the f...

NIDDK Program Officer @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social , Bethesda Declaration signer and outspoken advocate for science in the interests of the public not the politicians, was placed on administrative leave today. No reason was given. 1/4 www.instagram.com/reel/DRA3e8-...

Stand with science, stand up for democracy, stand with Jenna. This is not okay, and this cannot be the norm!

Dismantling of US federal agencies will ‘destroy science’ From NASA to the National Institutes of Health, federal agencies conduct research that universities cannot. Agency scientists speak out about the irreplaceable facilities, institutional knowledge and ...

Reporter @virginiagewin.bsky.social interviewed 19 current and former US federal agency scientists about the science being dismantled at EPA, NOAA, NASA, CDC, NIH, & USGS.

They say it's making America unprepared for environmental and public health crises.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

In June 2025 - key demographic data about race, ethnicity, language access, and a range of other factors were removed from CMS -2728 forms without any opportunity for public input. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...
This will imperil health and our efforts to improve kidney #health for all.

On 20 March 2025, Trump’s NIH terminated a grant exploring structural racism as a second hit on APOL1 in kidney disease.

The majority of the patients on the study’s stakeholder advisory board heard this as: ‘Your life does not matter to us’.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thank you for sharing this - here you can avoid the firewall! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Little attention has been given to the effect of NIH research terminations on people who stand to benefit most from scientific discoveries: the patients, care partners and community leaders.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

>2,100 research projects funded by the NIH were terminated in 2025...In this comment, patients, care partners, and scientists share our perspective about what's at stake...and why advocacy is essential to our path forward @natureportfolio.nature.com @apha.org @aclu.org www.nature.com/articles/s41...