The CSIRO has confirmed it will cut between 300 and 350 roles as the national science agency moves to address what it describes as long-running financial pressures and a widening gap between funding and operating costs.
Chief Executive Doug Hilton said the organisation had reached a “critical inflection point,” with the cost of running a modern science agency outpacing available resources. Conversations with employees are set to begin immediately, with the cuts expected across research units nationwide.
Hilton said the decision was “difficult but necessary” to safeguard the agency’s ability to focus on areas where it can make the strongest impact, including climate resilience, clean energy, advanced technology and national science priorities. An 18-month internal review found that several research programs lacked the scale required to remain competitive, prompting a decision to de-prioritise or wind down certain activities.
The move marks the latest in a series of reductions at the CSIRO, which has shed more than 800 roles in the past 18 months. The CSIRO Staff Association condemned the announcement, calling it a “very sad day” for publicly funded science and urging the federal government to intervene with emergency support.
Association secretary Susan Tonks said the cuts come at a time when Australia should be investing heavily in scientific capability, not scaling it back. “These are some of the worst cuts the CSIRO has ever seen,” she said.
Federal Science Minister Tim Ayres defended the restructuring, saying it would ensure CSIRO is “fit for purpose” and focused on national priorities such as critical minerals, steel production, climate research and future-facing technologies. While disease research will continue, areas like nutrition will be scaled back.
Independent Senator David Pocock criticised the government for failing to provide sustained funding, saying Australian science cannot meet future challenges if its workforce continues to shrink.
CSIRO to cut up to 350 jobs as Australia’s national science agency confronts funding pressures
