INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Director of the National Science Foundation Sethuraman Panchanathan abruptly resigned Thursday, Science Magazine first
reported.Panchanathan, who goes by Panch, did not cite a reason for his departure, which comes as 16 months are left in his six-year term
However, like most other federal agencies, the scientific funding organization is awash in turmoil due to the Trump administration
Specifically, the NSF is facing a 55 percent cut to its $9 billion annual budget in the next fiscal year, as well as a mass layoff of half
of its 1,700-person staff, according to Science.A memo sent to staff on Thursday, April 24, and obtained by Ars Technica confirmed that the
NSF is in for significant cuts
It offered staff a second chance at the deal offered in the earlier "fork in the road" email, allowing them to go on paid leave in return
for departing the foundation before October
Anyone who stays will face "future restructuring, staffing reductions, and constrained budget environments." The changes are expected to
"constrain future opportunities" within the NSF.Earlier this month, the NSF announced that it would be canceling active grants totaling up
to $1 billion in scientific research funding
The reason given was that the research the grants funded was no longer a priority for the agency
They appear to include research focused on environmental justice, the spread of misinformation, and fostering diversity in the scientific
The New York Times reported earlier this week that it had tallied more than 400 active NSF grants that have been terminated so far.
