industry & research
Hypothesis: lean times
1- Jobs 2- Agency funding 3- Grants 4- Fellowships scheme 5- Sustainability 6- ARC 7- CSIRO
8- DSTO 9- ANSTO 10- AIMS 11- Co-operative Research Centres 12- Australian Academy for Science 13- Australians 14- Education
1- Jobs 2- Agency fundi
3- Grants 4- Fellowships sch
5- Sustainabili 6- ARC 7- CSIRO
Agency leaders say there’ s‘ no fat left to trim’ from research spending. By Antonia Maiolo
Hundreds of jobs have already been cut from the science and research sector and there are growing fears that talented researchers will move offshore.
The concerns come as the 2014 – 15 federal Budget has unveiled plans to slash the allotment to the science and research sector, including plans to cut funding across a number of agencies and grants bodies.
Whilst there were a few pluses for the sector – namely the ongoing funding for the Future Fellowships Scheme supporting mid-career researchers, the target to double National Health and Research Council( NHMRC) spending by 2022, and an additional year’ s funding for the National
Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy – experts say the proposed cuts will weaken the sector.
“ Our biggest concern is the overall net reduction in science and research activity over the next few years,” professor Les Field, secretary for Science Policy at the Australian Academy for Science, says.
The Budget heralded cuts of at least $ 420 million over the forward estimates to five vital science agencies. The Australian Research Council( ARC) is set to lose $ 74.9 million, the CSIRO $ 111.4 million, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation( DSTO) $ 120 million, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation( ANSTO) $ 27.6 million, and Australian Institute of Marine Science( AIMS) $ 7.8 million.
THE FATE OF CRCs In addition, the Cooperative Research Centres( CRCs) program is set to lose $ 80 million. These cuts follow an overall reduction in the science budget of $ 470 million since 2011.
“ No matter how you cut the budget, there will be less research and science in the three years following this Budget,” Field says.“ This is really not a good outcome.
“ There will be significant downsizing and a shake-up of the research sector. There will be very talented individuals looking for new careers and the fear is that some of the research talent will diffuse offshore.”
Catriona Jackson, CEO of Science and Technology Australia, says hundreds of science and technology jobs have already been slashed as a result of an overall reduction in funding.
Further, she says, as a direct result of the cuts 420 CSRIO staff will lose their jobs as soon as June 2015 and another 80 after that.“ It is very disappointing to see funding slashed to the trusted national icon CSIRO. There is no fat left to trim; critical research programs will now be slashed or significantly reduced.”
The cut to government funds will have a serious flow-on effect, taking an estimated cut of CSIRO earnings of about $ 300 million over four years.
16 | campusreview. com. au