RTI International, a nonprofit research institute based at Research Triangle Park, announced Thursday temporary layoffs in response to the pause in U.S. foreign aid.
The company will lay off a total of 226 U.S. staff, including 61 in North Carolina. According to a press release, RTI said it does not know how long the employees will be laid off. The company works on nearly 4,000 projects every year on behalf of more than 1,100 clients.
In late January, President Donald Trump signed signed an executive order to freeze foreign assistance for 90 days. Pausing that funding brought hundreds of projects to an abrupt stop. RTI, the Triangle's largest nonprofit, runs many of those, and relies on government funding to pay employees.
"RTI remains dedicated to implementing efficient and effective foreign assistance programs that support the goals and priorities of all our clients, including the U.S. federal government," said Paul Weisenfeld, RTI executive vice president for international development, in a statement. "We are committed to making a positive impact on the wellbeing of people through science-based solutions."
In a similar move, Durham-based nonprofit FHI 360 it would furlough 36% of its staff, or some 200 workers in North Carolina, because of the federal funding freeze.
RTI was the first tenant of Research Triangle Park in 1958.
