CSIRO set to lay off hundreds of scientists and researchers amid government funding squeeze

Hundreds of scientists and researchers will lose their jobs with Australia’s leading science agency blaming rising costs and funding gaps for the cuts.

The CSIRO has announced up to 350 full-time staff roles will be abolished as the agency embarks on a new research direction to remain sustainable over the coming decades.

But the union representing the agency’s workers has slammed the Albanese government for ‘devastating’ cuts, which it said were worse than under the former Abbott coalition government.

The CSIRO said it was facing long-term financial sustainability challenges and it was at a “critical inflection point” due to funding not keeping pace with the rising costs of running a modern science agency.

After decades of stretching resources to maintain the breadth of its programs and size of its workforce, the agency’s chief executive Doug Hilton said the organisation needed to adapt to achieve the right balance.

“As today’s stewards of CSIRO, we have a responsibility to make decisions that ensure we can continue to deliver science that improves the lives of all Australians for generations to come,” Dr Hilton said.

“We must set up CSIRO for the decades ahead with a sharpened research focus that capitalises on our unique strengths, allows us to concentrate on the profound challenges we face as a nation and deliver solutions at scale.”

The organisation has announced its key focus areas following an 18-month review, which includes supporting a clean, affordable energy transition, addressing climate change, applying advanced technologies such as AI and quantum, mitigating and eradicating biosecurity threats and applying disruptive science and engineering to solve unanswered questions.

The sharpened focus means other research activities would need to be de-prioritised leading to the job cuts, the agency said.

Over the past 18 months, 818 jobs have been cut from the agency, which CSIRO Staff Association secretary Susan Tonks said were deeper than the Abbott government-era cuts.”These are some the worst cuts the CSIRO has ever seen, and they’re coming at a time when we should be investing in and building up public science,” Ms Tonks said.

“We don’t need a crystal ball to know these cuts will hurt – they’ll hurt families, farmers and our future.”

The union has called on the government to commit extra funding to the agency to reverse the job losses.

Consultation with staff, the union and external stakeholders will occur throughout the period of change, with early engagement to commence this week.