Senate Questions NIH Nominee on Funding, Transparency, and COVID-19 Impact

Today, the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing on President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, included debate over research funding priorities, transparency, and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, defended his vision for NIH, tackling concerns on research funding, public trust, and scientific integrity. | Image Credit: Corgarashu - stock.adobe.com

The Stanford economist emphasized the need to support early-career scientists, address chronic diseases, and restore public trust, while senators pressed him on vaccine skepticism, funding freezes, and the high cost of prescription drugs.

If confirmed, Bhattacharya would lead a $48 billion arm of HHS that functions as the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, according to The Washington Post.¹

"The NIH is the crown jewel of American biomedical science, with a long and illustrious history supporting breakthroughs in biology and medicine," Bhattacharya said in his remarks. "I have the utmost respect for NIH scientists and staff over the decades who have contributed to this success."

NIH Research Funding

In February, the Trump administration ordered an NIH funding freeze, stalling grant applications worth $1.5 billion for research on diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer disease and allergies, according to NPR.² The freeze was then partially lifted, with the NIH releasing a statement that the agency could "begin sending notices incrementally to the Office of the Federal Register to advertise meetings of scientific review groups/study sections and begin their resumption," according to Applied Clinical Trials^®.³

When pressed on whether Bhattacharya would support NIH funding cuts, Bhattacharya emphasized that he was not involved in the recent NIH decisions, stating that if confirmed, he wants to "make sure that every single scientist at the NIH and all the scientists that receive funding from the NIH have the resources they need to do their life-saving work.”

While he did not explicitly commit to reversing the funding freeze, he homed in on his commitment to supporting scientific research rather than directly challenging the current administrative actions.

He also promised to cut wasted research dollars and focus on funding studies on the root cause of chronic illnesses.

“Every dollar wasted on a frivolous study, every dollar wasted on administrative costs that are not needed, is a dollar not spent on research,” said Bhattacharya.

Prescription Drug Costs

When asked how he would handle the cost of prescription drugs, which is disproportionately higher in the US than other countries,⁴ Bhattacharya seemed focused on supporting research into more affordable treatment options rather than directly regulating drug prices.

"I think previous NIH directors have said it's very difficult for an NIH director alone to take action," said Bhattacharya. "I think that's something that Congress and the administration would have to work together."

Restoring Trust in NIH

Bhattacharya is known for his critique of the previous administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, he coauthored an open letter called “The Great Barrington Declaration,” challenging policies including lockdowns and mask mandates. The declaration was denounced by many public health officials as unscientific and irresponsible, according to NPR.⁵

In his hearing, he cited a Pew Research Center study in which about three-quarters of Americans say they have either a great deal (26%) or a fair amount (51%) of confidence in scientists to act in the best interests of the public.⁶

He argued that suppressing alternative viewpoints during COVID-19 damaged public trust and advocated for a restructuring of NIH that would allow for scientific dissent. He acknowledged increased vaccine skepticism as a "hangover from the COVID pandemic” and promised to provide good data to convince people about vaccine safety.

Moreover, Bhattacharya addressed key points about the debunked link between autism and vaccines, stating he wants to support a "broad scientific agenda based on data" to understand autism's cause rather than waste limited research resources on the vaccine-autism connection.

Following the hearing, the panel will vote on whether to advance Bhattacharya to the Senate floor.

References

1. Johnson M. NIH director nominee Jay Bhattacharya faces Senate confirmation hearing. Washington Post. March 5, 2025. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/03/05/jay-bhattacharya-nih-director-confirmation-hearing/

2. Stein R. NIH funding freeze stalls applications on $1.5 billion in medical research funds. NPR. February 22, 2025. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/22/nx-s1-5305276/trump-nih-funding-freeze-medical-research

3. Studna A. NIH partially lifts hold on medical funding. Applied Clinical Trials. February 27, 2025. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/nih-partially-lifts-hold-medical-funding

4. Comparing prescription drugs in the US and other countries: Prices and availability. ASPE. January 31, 2024. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/comparing-prescription-drugs

5. Stein R. Nominee to run NIH faces Senate scrutiny. NPR. March 5, 2025. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/05/g-s1-51401/nih-director-bhattacharya-nominee

6. Tyson A, Kennedy B. Public trust in scientists and views on their role in policymaking. Pew Research Center. November 14, 2024. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/