Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 1
Jenna Norton reinstated by NIH after leave over Trump research cuts criticism
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 1

Jenna Norton reinstated by NIH after leave over Trump research cuts criticism

5 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 1
  • The NIH employee said she received a brief email this week ordering her back on Monday, months after being sent home in November after a 43-day government shutdown.
  • Norton organised the June 2025 Bethesda Declaration, signed by nearly 500 NIH employees, and later filed a whistle-blower complaint alleging retaliation for criticising the administration's handling of medical research.
  • Her reinstatement follows the return of 14 FEMA employees who signed a similar letter, while Norton says Trump-era anti-DEI policies cancelled many grants she oversaw, though some have since been restored through lawsuits.
A reinstated scientist returns, but does her health disparities research have a future under new federal grant guidelines?
With billions in grant cuts and a scientific 'brain drain,' what is the long-term outlook for American medical innovation?