National Science Foundation

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USPTO cafeteria reopens to the public with chef-curated menus

By Katie Taranto
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cafeteria reopens under new management. (courtesy of Jay Premack/USPTO)

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s cafeteria has reopened under new management, coinciding with a busy season at the federal campus that recently welcomed the National Science Foundation.

USPTO’s Roundhouse Café officially reopened to the public March 30 at 600 Dulany Street in Carlyle, offering sushi, a made-to-order deli, salad bar, self-serve hot entrées and a hot bar, the agency announced. The venue plans to serve a rotating variety of “chef-curated” menus, seasonal promotions and guest restaurants.

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More than 20 operator proposals received for Alexandria’s new tech accelerator

By Emily Leayman
The Alexandria skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A program operator for a new tech startup accelerator will be selected in mid-April after the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership received numerous applications through its request for proposals process.

AEDP is launching the accelerator program to support new tech startups based in the city — the first direct support the organization has provided for startups in these industries. Attracting high-growth industries and boosting support for entrepreneurs is one of the strategies in ALX Forward, a roadmap for the city’s future economic growth recently approved by City Council.

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Private job losses tied to federal reductions pose concern in Alexandria, expert says

By Emily Leayman
The Alexandria skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Private sector job losses linked to federal reductions and economic uncertainty are a top concern for City of Alexandria and its regional counterparts, according to a presentation given to City Council Tuesday.

The presentation, based on the DMV Monitor project created in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, looked at federal job losses under President Donald Trump’s administration, its ripple effect on the private sector and other regional economic trends.

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New startup accelerator program seeks to foster tech company growth in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard (staff photo by James Cullum)

An accelerator program to support new tech startups is launching in the city, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership announced today (Wednesday).

The program will provide mentorship, coaching, technical support, capital connections and structured founder engagement for up to 15 startups over four to six months. It will serve startups in high-growth sectors such as robotics, aerospace, quantum, artificial intelligence (AI), energy tech, computer services, cybersecurity and defense.

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National Science Foundation will stay in Carlyle, retaining hundreds of jobs

By James Cullum
401 Dulany Street in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via Google Maps)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will remain in Carlyle, after it announced an official search for office space last summer.

Through NSF’s decision, Alexandria will retain 1,600 NSF federal employees and scientist jobs, the city announced in a release Friday evening. Local officials intend to work with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and property owner LCOR Inc. “over the coming months” to ensure a smooth transition.

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GSA searching for Alexandria office space leads this week’s top stories

By James Cullum
National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

It’s been quite a week in Alexandria. Here’s a rundown of our most-read stories.

Our top story is on the General Services Administration launching an official search for office space in Alexandria to relocate the National Science Foundation after the agency was displaced from its Eisenhower Avenue headquarters. In a presolicitation notice, GSA announced it needs between 240,000 and 280,000 square feet of Class A office space for a 48-month lease, with occupancy required by the end of November.

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GSA launches search for new Alexandria office space to house displaced National Science Foundation

By Ryan Belmore
National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

The General Services Administration has launched an official search for office space in Alexandria to relocate the National Science Foundation after the agency was displaced from its Eisenhower Avenue headquarters.

In a presolicitation notice posted to the federal contracting website SAM.gov on Thursday, GSA is seeking between 240,000 and 280,000 square feet of Class A office space for a 48-month lease term, with occupancy required by the end of November. The notice (ID 5VA0785) was first reported by Bisnow and then by the Washington Business Journal.

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National Science Foundation employees petition Congress over alleged firings, grant cuts

By Ryan Belmore
National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

More than 140 National Science Foundation employees petitioned Congress Tuesday to investigate alleged politically motivated firings as the agency’s governing board prepared to meet Wednesday on staffing and relocation issues.

The letter to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, details what employees call the systematic dismantling of the federal research agency under the Trump administration.

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Rep. Beyer highlights research grants canceled by Trump administration at Capitol Hill event

By Ryan Belmore
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer called out Elon Musk at his office in Old Town on March 7, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) joined scientists from across the nation on Capitol Hill today to showcase research that has been halted due to grant cancellations by the Trump administration.

Congressman Beyer, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Virginia (which includes Alexandria), spoke at “The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants,” a three-hour event hosted by House Democrats on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer. More than twenty researchers whose federal grants have been terminated presented their work to lawmakers and discussed the impact of the funding cuts.

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Mayor: Alexandria ‘betting’ on keeping NSF as 2,700 HUD workers relocate to city

By Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore, Publisher of ALXnow, and Mayor Alyia Gaskins chat on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the city is prepared to accommodate thousands of incoming federal workers while working to prevent the displacement of a major science agency during her monthly conversation with ALXnow on Tuesday.

The federal government recently announced that over 2,700 HUD employees will relocate to the National Science Foundation building in Alexandria, potentially displacing 1,800 NSF workers who currently occupy the space.

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EXCLUSIVE: Warner, Kaine, Beyer demand answers on NSF’s forced exit from Alexandria headquarters

By Ryan Belmore
(Left to right) Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, and GSA Commissioner Michael Peters announce HUD would be taking over NSF headquarters on June 25, 2025. (Staff Photo by Ryan Belmore)

Alexandria’s congressional delegation is escalating pressure on federal officials regarding the controversial decision to relocate the National Science Foundation (NSF) from its Alexandria headquarters to accommodate the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to a letter obtained exclusively by ALXnow.

Just one day after Senator Mark Warner criticized the move and demanded a full cost-benefit analysis during a media availability, the Virginia delegation has now formalized their concerns in writing.

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