The BBC said that the cuts did not reflect its commitment to factual programming, which it said has grown substantially, but is partly due to more programmes now being commissioned from the independent sector and from other parts of the BBC.
The factual unit is one of the best known at the BBC and is behind such programmes as 'The Natural History of Britain', presented by Alan Titchmarsh, and the 'Himalayas' series with Michael Palin.
The 37 jobs, which are mainly at producer level within the specialist factual departments in London and Bristol, account for less than 5% of the department's total staff numbers.
Keith Scholey, controller for specialist factual, said: "We need to make sure that we offer our viewers the highest quality of programmes and the best value for their licence fee. These changes are needed to deliver this."
He added: "A strong specialist factual production base is in the interests of both our audiences and of the wider television industry, at home and abroad."
The BBC said that it had done everything possible to minimise the job loses and said it would try to achieve them through voluntary redundancies or redeployment within the BBC.
The corporation will now carry out what it calls a 'preference exercise' over the next few weeks where staff can state their preference to remain in their current job, seek redeployment or leave the BBC. It said that the whole process should be completed by the end of the year.
The unit has already suffered heavy cuts over the last few years. Three years ago the BBC announced 129 jobs were to go at the Factual and Learning Division with most redundancies among programme-making staff.
At the time BBC managers said the cuts were due to "overstaffing". Broadcasting union BECTU rejected this claim saying the cuts were about an increase in the use of freelance and casual staff.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .