Argonne National Laboratory plans to eliminate 50 jobs starting in January, after a voluntary buyout program announced in October fell short.
An internal memo from the lab said more than 70 employees accepted Argonne's labwide voluntary separation program. But the lab was aiming to reduce its 3,456-person staff by about 3.5 percent, or 120 positions.
“Due to the slow economic recovery and ongoing debates over federal spending, Argonne National Laboratory is anticipating reduced budgets for the laboratory for at least the next two fiscal years,” the lab said in a statement last month. “Despite ongoing efforts to contain costs and limit spending, our budget constraints make it necessary for us to reduce our workforce."
Earlier this year, an attempt to restore about $50 million in funding cuts for Argonne, which is near Lemont, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia did not come close to winning approval in the U.S. House.
“The savings made possible by the voluntary separation program have eased some of the budget constrictions we are facing this fiscal year,” said the Dec. 3 memo from Eric Isaacs, the lab's director, who recently was named provost of the University of Chicago, which runs Argonne under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. “However, we are still grappling with the impacts of the slow economic recovery and the continuing congressional debates over the federal budget. As a result, we anticipate significant reductions in our federal funding over the next two years. In response, the laboratory plans to eliminate another 50 positions through an involuntary separation program, to begin in January.”
Argonne gets about 90 percent of its $800 million operating budget from the federal government.
“This is a difficult process, and I know that the next few months will be very challenging for many people,” the memo continued. “I want to assure you that we are exploring all available options to contain spending and increase efficiency. We believe these staff reductions are crucial to our ability to stay within our budgets while still pursuing our research mission and delivering groundbreaking science.”
Even if the budget deal currently pending in Congress eases the pressure on federal spending cuts next year, "there's still a huge amount of uncertainty" about how much funding Argonne will receive, said Mark Peters, the lab’s assistant director for lab programs. "All the budget deal does is make the cuts a little less."
The lab is making a strategic decision to position itself for the future, he added, assuming budgets will continue to be tight. At the same time, "it’s important that we continue to talk about the fact that scientific research needs to be a priority."