Australia will pump$387.4 million into its national science agency over four years after CSIRO funding dropped to its lowest level since 1978. The boost follows months of cuts that eliminated hundreds of jobs at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Insider Wire
Sign in or create a free account.
Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and morning briefings.
The funding announcement won't reverse recent layoffs but could prevent additional job losses at the agency that receives $1 billion annually. ACT Senator David Pocock commissioned parliamentary analysis showing CSIRO's funding as a percentage of GDP had fallen to levels not seen in nearly five decades.
Petition Drive Forces Government Response
Tens of thousands of Australians signed Pocock's petition demanding the government rescue CSIRO from what he called a systematic hollowing out of public science. The independent senator pushed for a Senate inquiry into the agency's funding crisis.
Australia can't afford to keep hollowing out public science.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the new money would provide CSIRO with "stability" to maintain operations and workforce levels. The investment targets facility upgrades, technology improvements, and research programs that government officials say matter to ordinary Australians.
Science Minister Tim Ayres framed the funding as essential to national interests. "Publicly funded science is absolutely critical to the national interest and to solving some of Australia's biggest challenges," Ayres said.
Senator Demands More Funding Through Gas Export Tax
Pocock welcomed the funding increase but argued Australia needs far more investment in research and development, which he said had hit record lows. The senator proposed funding additional science programs through a 25% tax on gas exports.
"I'll keep pushing the government to back the science and scientists we need to meet the huge challenges ahead," Pocock said. His gas export tax proposal reflects growing pressure on Australia's government to capture more revenue from the country's massive natural gas industry.
The government also announced $38 million in annual funding for the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness starting in 2030-31. That facility handles research on dangerous pathogens and biological threats.
The CSIRO funding fight highlights broader tensions over Australia's research priorities as the country faces pressure to boost scientific capabilities while managing budget constraints. Whether Pocock's gas tax proposal gains traction will determine if this funding boost represents a one-time rescue or the start of sustained investment in Australian science.
