National Science Foundation (NSF) Archives

Scenes from outside the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington on May 21, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

OPM tells agencies it’s not directing probationary firings

The human capital agency updated guidance to say it’s “not directing agencies to take any specific performance-based actions.”

Mar 4, 2025 By Madison Alder

The National Science Foundation building (Wikimedia Commons)

NSF says it’s reinstating fired probationary employees

The National Science Foundation is reinstating probationary employees following a court ruling on the firings.

Mar 3, 2025 By Madison Alder

NSF terminates 170 probationary employees, experts amid mass federal firings

The National Science Foundation terminated the employees Tuesday, the agency confirmed.

Feb 18, 2025 By Madison Alder

The government is working to improve data access. An AI chatbot could be part of that.

The National Secure Data Service Demonstration project is considering the AI use case as one of many initiatives to streamline the government’s data infrastructure.

Nov 18, 2024 By Madison Alder

Alondra Nelson, deputy director for science and society at OSTP, speaks in Wilmington, Delaware, on January 16, 2021. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images).

Alondra Nelson among Biden’s selections for National Science Board

The White House announced intent to appoint eight individuals to the body responsible for governing the National Science Foundation.

Oct 15, 2024 By Madison Alder

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Senate bill to create NSF-awarded AI challenges gets House companion

Legislation from Reps. Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu would award millions to technologists who leverage AI to solve sector-specific problems.

Oct 9, 2024 By Matt Bracken

Photo shows a row of large radio antennas that make up the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array. The antennas appear in silhouette at dusk. — The Very Large Array, located in New Mexico, is part of facility of the National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory. (Bettymaya Foott, NRAO/AUI/NSF; available under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

National Science Foundation, Simons Foundation launch two AI institutes for astronomy

Those new institutes will “build a new breed of astronomical tools” using AI, per the NSF.

Sep 18, 2024 By Madison Alder

Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Frank Lucas, R-Okla. sit at a dark wooden table with microphones and papers atop it in a House hearing room. — Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Frank Lucas, R-Okla., testify during a hearing before the House Committee on Rules in July 2023. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Legislation to codify NAIRR, authorize safety body among nine AI bills passed by House panel

Several of the bills have counterpart or similar measures moving forward in the Senate.

Sep 12, 2024 By Madison Alder

NSF announces $75 million to create five biofoundries at research institutions

The new biofoundries will focus on advancing biology and biotechnology and are aimed at democratizing access to research infrastructure.

Aug 28, 2024 By Madison Alder

Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., stands with his wife Amanda Boschma before Speaker of the House Mike Johnson arrives for a ceremonial swearing-in on Capitol Hill on June 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. Fong was officially sworn-in on the House floor, beginning his time in office after replacing former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy for the remainder of his term. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Bipartisan House bill looks to bolster AI education with NSF scholarships

The legislation seeks to boost the studying of AI in agriculture, education and advanced manufacturing.

Aug 26, 2024 By Matt Bracken