The year 2025 is marred by impending lay-offs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) due to budget freezes and aggressive federal downsizing. These lay-offs could potentially reduce the NSF staff by up to half, jeopardizing the agency’s ability to fund critical research across the country. The situation has been exacerbated by projections of a multibillion-dollar shortfall under the CHIPS and Science Act, coupled with a new executive order mandating rapid workforce reductions.
As of February 15, the NSF remains under a short-term continuing resolution expiring on March 14, plunging its budget into uncertainty. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) alleged that over $2 billion had been diverted to DEI-related programs, applauding the White House for combatting what he termed as “woke nonsense.” Meanwhile, reports from The Guardian indicate that NSF layoffs targeting probationary employees have already commenced, with employees being swiftly asked to vacate their offices.
The current landscape reveals a race between the United States and China to lead global research and development. While the U.S. has historically held the position of the world’s research superpower, China is swiftly gaining ground and could potentially become the top R&D spender by 2030.
The looming lay-offs at NSF, a major funder of basic research in the U.S., could severely curtail or halt grant awards, significantly impacting thousands of researchers, universities, and ongoing projects. In 2024, the Fiscal Responsibility Act resulted in an 8% cut to NSF’s budget compared to the previous year, leaving the agency approximately $6.6 billion below the funding targets outlined in the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.
The situation surrounding the 2025 NSF lay-offs is not an isolated incident. Early in the year, executive orders from the White House imposed funding freezes on several science agencies, directing them to downsize their workforce swiftly. The newly established Department of Government Efficiency mandated agencies like NSF to reduce staff by 25-50% to meet stringent budget goals. As a result, the Office of Personnel Management began compiling lists of probationary staff for potential dismissal and introduced buyout programs to encourage voluntary resignations.
Internal communications in February 2025 revealed that NSF leadership is contemplating laying off approximately 375 to 750 employees over the coming months. Reports suggest that the administration is considering slashing NSF’s annual budget from around $9 billion to $3-4 billion, dealing a significant blow to the agency’s ability to manage existing and future research grants. Lawmakers and federal employee unions have raised concerns about the scale of the lay-offs and budget cuts, with legal challenges impeding immediate action.
In a bid to mitigate the impact of the lay-offs, NSF leadership has paused new grant awards and temporarily delayed salary payments to scientists and administrative staff. The Office of Personnel Management has primarily targeted probationary employees for dismissal, offering some of them buyout options that were later put on hold.
With an annual budget of $9-10 billion before the 2025 cuts, NSF has been a key player in funding nearly 25% of federally supported basic research at 1,800 U.S. institutions. In FY2023 alone, NSF distributed over 11,000 awards supporting more than 350,000 researchers, postdoctoral fellows, educators, and students across the nation.
The prior FY 2025 budget request from NSF showcased changes in funding for various directorates, reflecting shifts in priorities and allocations. These alterations underscore the evolving landscape of research funding and the challenges faced by agencies like NSF in navigating rapid budget cuts and lay-offs.
As the NSF grapples with operational disruptions and workforce reductions, the broader implications of these changes echo beyond the agency itself. The impact on researchers, institutions, and the scientific community at large underscores the importance of stable and adequate funding for maintaining the momentum of scientific discovery and innovation.
In conclusion, the unfolding events at NSF highlight the precarious nature of research funding in an era of budget constraints and political shifts. The repercussions of the lay-offs and budget cuts will reverberate across the scientific community, underscoring the need for sustainable and predictable funding mechanisms to support ongoing research efforts and scientific advancements.