NSF Reinstating Probationary Employees

The director of the National Science Foundation has ordered the immediate reinstatement of probationary employees who were laid off two weeks ago. The move comes in response to a judge’s ruling on Feb. 27 that the Office of Personnel Management does not have the authority to direct other agencies to make layoffs. An NSF spokesperson said today that NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan has “ordered the immediate reinstatement of terminated probationers with backpay and no break in service based on updated guidance from OPM and the federal courts.”

Prior to the ruling, NSF had already begun reinstating probationary employees who are veterans, military spouses, or have identified disabilities in response to separate guidance from OPM. Among the original layoffs, 86 employees were probationary and the other 84 were part-time experts. The reinstatement applies to 84 probationary staff, the spokesperson said.

NSF has come under fire for its handling of the Trump administration’s directives, including its abrupt reclassification of certain employees as probationary. Democrats on the House Science Committee have also asked NSF’s governing board to “speak out to ensure that NSF does not further damage itself and its reputation,” pointing to the layoffs, the temporary funding freeze last month, and the agency’s ongoing review of grants for terms potentially related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They also cited reporting that has “called into question the entire future of the U.S. Antarctic Program,” which is managed by NSF.

This news brief originally appeared in FYI’s newsletter for the week of March 3.