Congressman Seeks Reinstatement Of National Science Foundation Workers

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Amid a wave of federal firings tied to the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, one of the mass firings last week affected Alexandria-based National Science Foundation. Now, the congressman representing Alexandria is demanding a reversal of the firings.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Alexandria) called on National Science Foundation director Sethuraman Panchanathanto reinstate the 168 firings, which were done in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump. CBS News reported that the firings affected about 12 percent of National Science Foundation workers. Politico said along with many probationary workers, the firings affected contract experts in specialty fields.

The congressman said the firings violate labor agreements and worker protections, in addition to unlawfully reclassifying permanent National Science Foundation workers.

"The rushed nature of this decision and termination process has blindsided supervisors and added chaos to NSF’s operational structure, not to mention risking U.S. scientific leadership, innovation and discovery," Beyer wrote in the letter.

The National Science Foundation in 1950 as an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in the U.S. largely by making grants for research. According to Beyer, the independent federal agency had about 1,500 employees and 200 scientists from research institutions in temporary roles.

Beyer wrote that the National Science Foundation provided a list to the federal government's Office of Personnel Management that "erroneously included permanent employees." That was in response to OPM seeking lists of probationary employees and providing guidance on increasing the probationary period from one to two years. However, those probationary employees had the one-year period outlined in offer letters, SF-50 personnel forms, and the agency's personnel manual.

"Employees who had already completed a one-year probationary period—some of whom had their probation contractually waived—were suddenly reclassified as probationary, exposing them to termination without due process," Beyer wrote.

Beyer called for an explanation on how the National Science Foundation to comply with contractual obligations for workers.

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.

Last week, a federal judge denied one of the lawsuits to stop the federal worker job losses. According to NBC News, the judge said the matter about federal worker reductions and probational worker firings would have to go before the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Another lawsuit filed challenges the federal government's "abuse" of the probationary period to fire workers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.