A Scientist Speaks Out: The Norton Case and Public Science

Jenna Norton is a program director in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, and she became a visible critic of the Trump administration's deep research cuts. In June 2025 she helped organize the Bethesda Declaration, a public statement that listed 92 named signers and about 250 additional supporters who feared that new policies were politicizing science and harming research participants.

On November 13, 2025 an NIH human resources email placed Norton on administrative leave effective 2:00 PM Eastern, stating that the leave would include full pay and benefits and was "not being done for any disciplinary purpose." Her government email access was cut off, and an HHS official described her as a "radical leftist" who "chooses to constantly criticize this administration, even when she is supposed to be working." Norton responded on TikTok that she was not given a reason for the leave.

The move highlighted long-standing tensions inside NIH, where staff have protested grant cancellations and large budget reductions; such actions, staff members say, can stop clinical trials and leave research participants without promised protections. While some officials have defended spending decisions as efforts to improve efficiency, many scientists have argued that abrupt terminations waste public funds and damage public trust.

If Norton is returned to duty, colleagues say she could resume work on health disparities projects that aim to help under-served patients; otherwise, her case will remain a rallying point for employees who fear retaliation. Petitions and news coverage continue to follow the story.