Interesting projects hindered by slow bureaucracy - Staff Scientist National Cancer Institute Employee Review

You don't have to necessarily apply for grants to run your experiments, each lab has a budget and you can spend a lot of money for very ambitious (and expensive) work, if your lab has the funds

You depend on the government completely. If there is a shutdown, you aren't working. If priorities change, then research priorities change as well...

Good benefit, employees are professional.

Big institute, so lots of bureaucracy, and need to be proactive to get what you want.