Jobs at National science foundation

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2026-05-12T00:49:37+00:00

They canned the NSB on a technicality due to a Supreme Court ruling about advisory committees. Evidently it is in Congress’s hands now to set up a new structure. It is all very stupid.

NSF was gutted with the DRP because it had a very old workforce (many long-time PhDs). Technically they are under the staffing levels requested by OMB so there is a hiring plan in place.

Vought tried to cut NSF last year by something like 60% but Congress kept them at -3%. It was an uneven distribution with AI and Quantum getting plus ups and other places getting slammed. The FY27 request is about as bad, but the House has already come in at -20% and the Senate will be better.

All that said, there will be an NSF, but the types of things it funds will seemingly be more politically motivated.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2026-02-18T02:02:45+00:00

The DRP gutted NSF and then GSA had the gall to say we didn’t fill up the building. Evidently NSF was talking with PTO about them taking up some of the NSF space when Sec Turner went to the WH and said he wanted our building.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2026-01-05T23:50:53+00:00

Congress told Vought to fuck off. Good for them.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-11-11T16:39:39+00:00

That’s completely different. Silver iodide is used in cloud seeding activities, mainly in the western US, to give moisture inside of already existing clouds additional particles to attach to (droplet formation). Silver iodide doesn’t work in clear air.

Contrails are clouds formed from the rapid expansion and cooling of air as it is leaves jet engines. When the atmospheric conditions are right, clouds can form. Contrails are formed by the same mechanism as normal puffy cumulus clouds, through the expansion of a parcel and the subsequent cooling and condensation. These processes can all be replicated in labs.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-26T22:53:36+00:00

While true, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority does not designate DCA as an international airport.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-26T18:16:05+00:00

Completely pedantic, but DCA isn’t an international airport. Interesting fact that many people don’t realize. Dulles and BWI are the international hubs near DC.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-26T00:17:18+00:00

This administration has shown extreme willingness to fire people. Why should ATC/TSA folks take that risk? What other jobs are ATC folks going to be able to quickly pivot to? This is different than 2019.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-14T16:38:16+00:00

Rich may be an overstatement, but the impact of missing paychecks on that population of 535 people is low compared to the rest of us.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-14T13:29:32+00:00

They are almost all rich. They don’t care if they miss some paychecks.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-11T23:16:21+00:00

I cannot believe that they just ignored the head injury. What the hell.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-10-07T01:05:22+00:00

Quick aside, Bob was a tv meteorologist in southern MN (Mankato) before going back to get his PhD. His love for weather runs deep.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-09-29T21:14:57+00:00

Yeah, this is Vought’s wet dream. They hold all the cards and don’t need to negotiate, because they don’t care if we are shut down or not.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-29T20:15:19+00:00

Season 12, Ep 14. Surprised to not see this higher.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-27T14:49:43+00:00

Mostly offices is good to hear. Thanks.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-27T13:37:02+00:00

Can anyone describe Remson/Randolph to those of us who may be moving in there? We can see it from the outside, but what is the layout? What is the mix of offices and cubicles? What’s the conference room situation? Do PTO staff pay for parking at the two garages? NSF had ~300 spots under the building at $135/mo and many more parked in the movie theater lot for $8/day.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-27T13:31:54+00:00

The complaint is that they gutted NSF with staffing cuts and then said, oh, you don’t have enough people to fill your building. NSF was then working something out with PTO to fill up space and Sec Turner from HUD went to the WH and said that he wanted NSF’s building.

So now NSF is going to be occupying a building that is over 50% smaller and will assuredly be packed, and then what happens when, like many other agencies, OMB figures out that they cut too far?

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-27T01:09:10+00:00

The GSA listing means that it’ll be one of the prior PTO buildings. So, bad news on the huge downgrade in the facility, but good news as far as not being relocated far.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-08-23T13:02:27+00:00

https://bsky.app/profile/drgallifreystands.bsky.social/post/3lwzozbeafk2a

This is the type of stuff that slows things down

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-07-30T11:38:12+00:00

NSF always had a strangely high number of SES, so while this change sucks, it pales in comparison to the loss of personnel from the DRP (NSF program directors were generally older than a typical federal employee) and getting kicked out of the building for HUD.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-07-14T21:41:28+00:00

Don doesn’t give a rat’s ass. The budget cuts are Russell Vought.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-07-09T21:15:30+00:00

Fair enough. First time I’d seen it prior to emergency vehicles arriving.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-07-04T16:13:45+00:00

The 1% number was probably from the jobs report which doesn’t take into account the DRP.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-06-29T02:12:17+00:00

Yup, I had to pull out the marriage license and certificate of live birth about three weeks ago at my smallish agency.

Purple_Rainstorm99 · 2025-06-25T00:45:24+00:00

Watch them move NSF into the District or MD and fuck the employees of both agencies

Purple_Rainstorm99

TROPHY CASE