Submission – Inquiry into Funding and Resourcing for the CSIRO
As Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO is a cornerstone of Australia’s scientific excellence and innovation, conducting research and collaborating with industry to benefit Australians in areas including health, climate and the environment, space science and astronomy, energy, agriculture, manufacturing and technology.
CSIRO is not immune to budget decisions that are an essential component of responsible governance of public resources. It is important for CSIRO to be empowered to make strategic and operational decisions that align with legislated objectives, organisational priorities and Australia’s evolving national needs. This autonomy affirms CSIRO’s ability to remain agile, innovative and capable of delivering impactful scientific research in the national interest and that does not duplicate efforts in other parts of the scientific enterprise.
However, the recent job cuts and resourcing challenges at CSIRO are a symptom of a science sector that is highly resource-constrained and reaching a critical point. While the costs of science are increasing, Australia’s investment in research and development (R&D) is well below the OECD average and declining. This puts our science capability, including our national science agencies, in a precarious position and risks Australia’s future prosperity and security. Over a decade of declining R&D funding cannot be restored by one-off budget band-aids.
Australia is facing many challenges including societal generational change, geopolitical shifts, environmental challenges, and technological disruption. Government needs to ensure Australia holds the scientific and technological capabilities required to meet these challenges.
The Academy recommends the Australian Government:
- Commit to sustainably funding publicly funded research agencies, especially to secure public good research. The resourcing required to ensure adequate national capability should be based on evidence.
- Action the forthcoming recommendations of the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD) to reform Australia’s research system and reverse the long-term decline in Australia’s R&D investment.
- Develop a 10-year R&D investment plan for the public and private sectors to work together to create an R&D ecosystem that makes Australia globally competitive and raises national investment in research. The Academy’s budget positive proposal to establish a Research Fund using revenue generated from an R&D levy supports this objective.
