The NIH has rescinded a policy requiring recipients of new grants to certify they do not have unlawful DEI programs or boycotts of Israel.

In a written response shared with the AP, Bhattacharya defended the agency’s direction, insisting the letter “has some fundamental misconceptions about the policy directions the NIH has taken in recent months.” But he reiterated his commitment to dialogue: “Respectful dissent in science is productive,” he said. “We all want the NIH to succeed.”

More than 300 scientists from the NIH signed an open letter on Monday to director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, criticizing the Trump administration over recent moves.

More than 90 NIH scientists sign their names to the “Bethesda declaration” in protest of Trump administration policies they say are harming people’s health.

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In a public letter, hundreds of scientists expressed their dissent to the Trump administration's policies affecting the National Institutes of Health and called on its director to support the agency.