National Science Foundation cuts 10 percent of staff

Nearly 170 employees at the National Science Foundation (NSF) who were still on probation were fired by the Trump administration on Tuesday, union officials told The Hill.

The cuts at the agency responsible for funding scientific research hit more than 10 percent of their staff, with 168 fired out of roughly 1,500 career employees.

The move comes after the Office of Personnel Management ordered agencies to fire employees on probation — those hired within the last year or two years, depending on their agency.

Democrats blasted the move.

“Indiscriminately firing 10% of NSF’s workforce today is a massive mistake that will hurt our ability to compete globally, especially with China. Probationary employees are often the professionals tackling the newest and most critical threats to the U.S. scientific ecosystem and have decades of subject-matter training in areas of emerging technology. The United States science and innovation enterprise will no longer be the envy of the world if Co-Presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump get their way," House Science Space and Technology Committee ranking member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

"In one fell swoop, the foundation of American research and development that has been painstakingly built for decades...now crumbles at the hands of Musk’s DOGE minions who have no idea what they’re doing."

Employees were given two hours to clear out their offices and say their goodbyes.

"The National Science Foundation has released 168 employees from Federal service effective today. We thank these employees for their service to NSF and their contributions to advance the agency mission," agency spokesperson Michael England said in a statement.

NSF funds cutting-edge research across multiple fields, from biological studies to engineering and mathematics research; the agency awarded 11,000 different grants last year.

Their research has helped develop the internet, 3D printing, American Sign Language and Doppler radar.

Updated at 8:36 p.m.

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