National Academies prepares for ‘fairly radical downsizing’

Megan Molteni reports on discoveries from the frontiers of genomic medicine, neuroscience, and reproductive tech. She joined STAT in 2021 after covering health and science at WIRED. You can reach Megan on Signal at mmolteni.13.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is headed for a major reorganization as it tries to reduce its overhead amid big losses in funding from the federal government. 

Facing a shortfall of roughly $40 million in terminated contracts, the nation’s leading advisory body on issues of science and technology has already had to lay off 50 of its 1,000 employees and could lose as many as 250 more by the end of the summer, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt told STAT in an interview. 

While no decisions about further terminations have yet been made, the organization’s leadership anticipates that many of the 200 staff currently experiencing reduced hours will depart on their own in the coming months and that further cuts may be required if new sources of funding can’t be found.