The National Science Foundation, an independent federal government agency that is one of the cornerstones of public research funding in the U.S., said Tuesday it has laid off approximately 12% of its workforce.

An NSF spokesperson told CBS News that 168 probationary employees were let go. Before Tuesday, the spokesperson said the agency had approximately 1,450 employees.

“We thank these employees for their service to the NSF and their contributions to advance the agency mission,” the spokesperson said.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.