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.
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 7:44 p.m.
