NASA has initiated Reductions-in-Force or RIFs at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. in compliance with a Trump Administration Executive Order. Two offices and part of another were closed and their employees notified they are being RIFed.
The Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS), the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Branch of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are being closed. NASA told SpacePolicyOnline.com that 23 employees are affected.
In a statement, NASA said the employees could opt for the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority if eligible, or complete the RIF process.
“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an Executive Order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF. A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF. If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.” — NASA statement
The government’s RIF process is administered by the Office of Personnel Management.
In a letter to the NASA workforce, Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro explained the agency is responding to President Trump’s Executive Order on Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative.
While this will mean making difficult adjustments, we’re viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce, ensuring we are doing what is statutorily required of us, while also providing American citizens with an efficient and effective agency. — Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro
She added that closing these three offices are actions “occurring in advance of the agency’s RIF and reorganization plan as part of the broader governmentwide restructuring effort,” signalling that this is just the beginning.
OTPS was established in November 2021 within the Office of the NASA Administrator to work collaboratively across NASA and the space community and provide the Administrator with quick turn-around “analytic, strategic, and decisional insights.” Bhavya Lal was the first head of OTPS. She left NASA in 2023 and was succeeded by Charity Weeden.
The office includes NASA’s Chief Technologist and Chief Economist. A. C. Charania has been the Chief Technologist since January 2023. Akhil Rao is the acting Chief Economist following the departure of Alex McDonald on December 31, 2024.
The Office of Chief Scientist was established in 1982, but was closed from 2005-2011. Climate scientist Kate Calvin became NASA’s Chief Scientist in 2022. Reporting directly to the NASA Administrator, the office coordinates across all of NASA’s science disciplines and with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and other government agencies.
NASA Chief Scientist Kate Calvin. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Actions taken against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion activities throughout the government, including NASA, began just two days after Trump’s inauguration. Petro sent a letter that day, drafted by OPM, announcing the end of all DEI efforts in the agency.
Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 2:18 pm ET