A new Schedule F executive order has reclassified key positions at NIH and NSF. The changes will reduce civil service protections for many employees involved in research policy and grant administration at the two agencies.

What is Schedule F?

In the summer of 2025, the White House proposed a new regulation that would create an additional federal employee category – Schedule F. This new category would reclassify thousands of career civil service positions as policymaking positions, making them subject to presidential appointment and removal. Presidentially appointed positions do not have the same job security protections as civil service employees have.

The reclassification process was completed at the beginning of June 2026 when the President signed an Executive Order identifying an initial 8,000 positions across the government that were reclassified as Schedule F jobs.

Schedule F Positions at NIH

Among the 15 positions at the NIH that were reclassified were Branch Chiefs and Division Directors. As described in the Executive Order, these positions were reclassified as Schedule F because they are responsible for “influencing policy-making and budgetary decisions” and “exercising discretion in the allocation of federal resources to advance Institute- and National Institutes of Health-wide strategic goals.” Other positions include the Deputy Director for Extramural Research, currently held by Jon Lorsch, former Director of National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the Deputy Director for Intramural Research, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, and the Director for Science Policy at the NIH.

Schedule F Positions at NSF

Several National Science Foundation positions were included in the initial Schedule F reclassifications. The positions include positions with the titles “Senior Advisor”, “Biological Science Administrator”, “Supervisory Grants and Contract Policy Analyst”, “Grants Management Specialist”, and “Supervisory Grants Management Specialist.”

The reclassification of NIH and NSF positions is significant because Schedule F employees can be removed more easily than traditional civil servants. Many are concerned that the change could increase political influence over scientific administration, grant management, and research policy decisions.