NIH expects staff cuts of up to 5,000 of its 20,000 positions

Workers at the premier funder of biomedical research are "scrambling and freaking out"  as they brace for deep cuts but have few details on how they will be made.

Log In    Subscribe BREAKING NEWS   At NIH, 'everyone is on edge' as they brace for deep cuts and more centralized control By Jonathan Wosen, Megan Molteni, Jason Mast, Angus Chen, Lev Facher, and Anil Oza Adobe Scientists, administrators, and other employees at the National Institutes of Health are reeling, afraid and confused as the agency faces deep workforce cuts and little information from leadership about how those cuts will be made.    The agency, the nation's premier funder of biomedical research, is expected to cut between 3,400 and 5,000 positions from its workforce of 20,000 in coming days, according to NIH employees who spoke with STAT and other reports.  "Nobody feels like their job is safe. Everyone is on edge," said Kim Hasenkrug, an NIH scientist emeritus with knowledge of ongoing activities at Rocky Mountain Laboratories. "They're trying to hide these numbers. Even the top people can't keep track because they're hiring and firing so much." READ MORE Be the first to know Get instant notifications for the topics and reporters you choose with STAT+ Email Alerts. In Case You Missed It 1   NIH has paused patenting of discoveries, slowing their use in developing treatments By Megan Molteni 2   Former NIH director Francis Collins, once beloved in Washington, now worries for his safety there By Anil Oza and Katherine MacPhail 3   Columbia scientists reel as Trump administration cancels grants, hitting broad suite of research By Jason Mast 4   Top addiction researcher Nora Volkow on NIH cuts, optimism, and the limits of RFK Jr.'s 12-step experience By Lev Facher Don't miss out on another STAT Investigation Unlock the world of health and medicine with a subscription to STAT+ Learn more STAT, 1 Exchange Place, Boston, MA ©2025, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Newsletter Preferences • Contact Us • Advertise with Us