NIH director pledges to implement changes "humanely"
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Bhattacharya. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Newly confirmed National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya told staff that they face challenges amid large-scale cutbacks and that he will try his best to "implement new policies humanely," according to an all-staff email sent this morning and shared with Axios by the agency.
Why it matters: The message comes days after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a sweeping reorganization of the federal health bureaucracy, which includes laying off roughly 1,200 NIH employees.
- Layoff notices started going out to HHS employees this week.
Bhattacharya, a Stanford health economist who just began his first full week as NIH director, acknowledged in his email that the agency will be under close watch by his superiors in the Trump administration.
- "I recognize that I am joining NIH at a time of tremendous change. Every inch of the federal government is under scrutiny — and NIH is not exempt," Bhattacharya wrote.
- "Many of our valued colleagues are losing their jobs, which is in no way a reflection of the quality of their work. I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who will be affected for all you have contributed to the mission of the NIH," he added.
The staff reductions will require new approaches to carrying out key administrative functions at the agency including communications, legislative affairs and procurement, the email said.
- "As we navigate these challenges, I will do my best to lead the NIH through these reforms, implement new policies humanely, and endeavor to earn your trust," Bhattacharya wrote.
NIH has gone through upheaval since January and felt the effects of DOGE cuts to health programs, including billions of dollars in reductions to funding for overhead costs for university research.
- It's also canceled grants for studies on HIV prevention, suspended training programs and halted contracts renewing tenure-track scientists.
Zoom in: Bhattacharya wrote in the email that he wants to prioritize work that addresses the health needs of Americans, including chronic diseases.
- He plans to focus on improving population health, making sure NIH research can be reproduced and keeping the agency at the forefront of biomedical innovation.
- Research safety and transparency and academic freedom are also priorities, per the email.
- "Importantly, our discoveries will only make an impact if the public has confidence in our findings and trusts that we are working in their best interests," Bhattacharya wrote.
