The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reaching out to several of its recently dismissed scientists—some of whom were involved in evaluating Elon Musk’s Neuralink—in an effort to rehire around 300 employees.

The agency, which oversees drugs, food safety, medical devices, and tobacco, had seen over 1,000 staffers fired last week as part of a broader move by the Trump administration to slash federal positions.

Among those contacted are at least 11 personnel from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, who have been told they could return to work as soon as Monday.

READ MORE: Report: FDA staff reviewing Musk’s Neuralink included in DOGE sackings

This effort includes individuals from the Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices—a unit that had about 20 employees, some of whom had been working on Neuralink—though it’s still unclear if every dismissed worker involved with the Neuralink review has received the invitation to come back.

Previously, the FDA had turned down Neuralink’s request to initiate clinical trials due to safety concerns. However, after further review, the startup received the green light, and its clinical trials are now underway.

This rehire initiative comes on the heels of other high-profile staffing cuts within the administration, which also saw reductions in teams managing nuclear weapons oversight and avian influenza research. While some of the contacted scientists are considering a return, others expressed hesitation. One official commented on the challenge: “It’s hard to compete with Silicon Valley’s perks when job stability and competitive compensation are on the line.”

Industry experts have also weighed in. Scott Whitaker, CEO of the medical device industry group AdvaMed, stressed the importance of an effective FDA review process, noting that bringing back these specialized experts could bolster the agency’s mission to ensure the safety and advancement of medical technologies.

Critics point out that many of the eliminated positions were funded by fees from medical device companies and other sources—not by taxpayer dollars—raising questions about the administration’s stated goal of reducing government spending.

White House representatives have defended the broader staffing cuts as a necessary step to eliminate wasteful spending and non-essential government roles.

‍