Prof. Nick Bednar ’16 Interviewed by STAT News About New Trump Policy Making it Easier to Fire NIH Workers

Professor Nick Bednar ’16 was interviewed by STAT News about a new Trump administration policy that makes it easier to fire thousands of federal workers. Critics say the personnel rule will subject a broader swath of federal workers to political pressure, specifically those employed by the National Institutes of Health, raising concerns that the change could deter accomplished scientists from joining the federal workforce and give political appointees greater influence over grant decisions. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) contends that “removing due process protections for individuals in scientific positions will ensure that the best candidates fill these positions.” Prof. Bednar disputed this, noting that research has shown that tenure protections are necessary to entice the best candidates to apply for positions in government. He said, “Without tenure protections, the federal government has weakened its ability to compete with private sector employers for scientists who work in agencies like the National Institutes of Health. OPM’s reasoning for this rule discounts everything we know about the labor market for public sector employees.”