BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics, Policy & Law

Bright was fired from BARDA for resisting demands to disregard science on COVID-19

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April 22, 2020 10:55 PM UTC

Rick Bright was fired as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response because he refused to fund projects that had strong political backing but lacked scientific merit, according to a statement he released and former colleagues who spoke with BioCentury.

The firing is a symptom of long-simmering feuds and jockeying for position in the Trump administration. ...