Almost 600 staff members have accepted Duke University’s “voluntary separation incentive,” but that won’t be enough to prevent staff layoffs scheduled to start in August.

Nearly 600 employees at Duke University opted to take buyouts through the school's Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP), the university said in a letter to employees on Friday.

Nearly 600 employees have accepted buyouts at Duke University, opting into a voluntary separation incentive program prompted by threats to federal research funding, WRAL reported.

The university expects fewer employees to be impacted by layoffs given the “high number” of employees who took buyouts.

The VSIP targeted staff across a range of seniority levels and tenures. Remaining staff are being asked to assume multiple roles and responsibilities to compensate for departing colleagues, The Chronicle confirmed.

Faculty and staff impacted by the layoffs will be informed sometime between August 5 and August 19, according to a message from Duke University leaders.

Durham, N.C.-based Duke University has shared plans to lay off 599 employees who had accepted a voluntary separation agreement proffered in the spring. The layoffs include roles among some of Duke Health School of Medicine workers.

Duke University joins the growing list of elite institutions, including Ivy League counterparts, facing budget constraints. Over 600 positions are being cut through layoffs and voluntary separations,

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- After nearly 600 Duke University employees accepted voluntary buyout offers in the spring, the school now says it will still need to conduct "involuntary layoffs". The move comes amid significant threats to the university's funding under the Trump Administration.

Duke's fight with Aetna for more favorable rates comes as the university faces other financial pressures, mostly from the federal government.