NIH Employees Express Alarm Over Director's Additional CDC Responsibilities
Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has taken on an interim leadership role at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sparking significant concern among NIH staff. Employees at the research agency worry that this dual responsibility will lead to even greater absenteeism, leaving pressing issues unaddressed.
Rising Tensions Over Funding and Health Insurance
Bhattacharya, who gained prominence as a vocal opponent of Covid-19 mitigations and is a close ally of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, has overseen a period of tightened budgets at NIH. The agency has sharply reduced funding for researchers, particularly in studies involving race and gender, while implementing hiring freezes and increasing health expenses for employees.
At a January meeting, Ian Morgan, a postdoctoral researcher and union steward at NIH, highlighted the dramatic rise in health insurance costs for early-career scientists. With a new baby on the way, Morgan expressed fears about financial stability, asking, "What can we do to actually support early-career researchers like myself who are struggling to get by?"
Bhattacharya, despite previously stating that supporting innovative early-career researchers is a priority, admitted he was unaware of the issue, saying, "Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question." He invited Morgan to schedule a meeting via email, but that meeting has yet to occur, with Morgan noting the director was too busy to accommodate him.
Broader Implications for Scientific Research
Shiv Prasad, a scientific review officer at NIH, emphasized that the director position has historically been a full-time role, overseeing a $48.7 billion portfolio. He warned that cutting back on support for early-career researchers represents "a crisis for the pipeline" of American science, potentially driving away talented individuals and harming the country's scientific future.
Data from NIH shows a concerning trend: the success rate for early-career scientists applying for R01 grants dropped from 26.1% in fiscal year 2024 to 18.9% in fiscal year 2025, despite only a marginal 1% increase in applications. Additionally, more than half of NIH's 27 institutes and centers are currently led by acting directors, a higher rate than Prasad has seen in his three decades at the agency.
Prasad also voiced concerns about Bhattacharya's time management, noting that the director spends significant time on speaking engagements, including rightwing podcasts and conventions, which may detract from his NIH duties. On a recent podcast, Bhattacharya claimed to have established a leadership team at NIH, but employees report that Matthew Memoli, the principal deputy director, is effectively running the agency.
Legal and Governance Challenges
Anne Joseph O'Connell, a professor at Stanford Law School, explained that while it is legal for a Senate-confirmed director to temporarily lead another agency, it is not necessarily desirable. She cautioned, "Even at a second job, we should worry about the harms to governance. It is hard to do two full-time jobs."
Bhattacharya is the fourth leader of the CDC in a year and may serve as acting director until March 25. Emily G Hilliard, HHS press secretary, stated that the director has empowered the NIH leadership team to maintain agency priorities during this period. However, Prasad stressed that both NIH and CDC require full-time attention, warning that part-time leadership could lead to operational breakdowns.
Despite past successes, such as easing hiring freezes for postdoctoral researchers, Morgan highlighted the importance of presence and engagement: "Part of doing the job is being there and meeting with people... if you're not there, things are going to break."
