Alexandria-Based National Science Foundation Makes Staff Cuts: Report

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency headquartered in Alexandria, has fired a share of its workers.

The 168 firings of probationary workers are in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump, a National Science Foundation spokesperson told CBS News. The order seeks to reduce the size of the federal workforce in connection with the Department of Government Efficiency's cost-cutting efforts.

Before the firings, the National Science Foundation had 1,450 workers, meaning the cuts represent about 12 percent of workers. Politico said along with many probationary workers, the firings affected contract experts in specialty fields.

Congress created the National Science Foundation in 1950 as an independent federal agency. The foundation supports science and engineering in the U.S. largely by making grants for research. The National Science Foundation provides key direction for the future of science research, accounting for about a quarter of federal support for research to college and universities. The National Science Foundation is also one of the major federal employers based in the City of Alexandria.

Politico reported on how the National Science Foundation informed employees in a Tuesday meeting. Chief management officer Micah Cheatham said at the meeting that hiring of contract experts was the foundation's own decision, not a requirement.

"Because if we’re asked to remove probationers, then we also need to remove at-will employees," Cheatham said at the meeting, according to information obtained by Politico.

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, has sought reductions in federal spending in the early days of Trump taking office. The Associated Press estimates thousands of federal employees have lost jobs and has detailed that the job cuts have impacted various federal departments. Probationary employees, who were hired on a probationary basis, have been significantly impacted by the federal worker reductions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.