CSIRO braces for job cuts



By Leigh Dayton

Nearly 130 jobs will be axed as the national research agency heads into the final year of its four-year funding agreement.

While the CSIRO received renewed support for programs such as its National Research Flagships, the job cuts have created uncertainty for the organisation’s 6500 employees at more than 50 sites in Australia and overseas.

“There will probably be more redundancies over the year,” staff association president Michael Borgas said. “Not only are staff numbers declining but the workloads are growing, and it’s not a comfortable position for anyone.”

The CSIRO job cuts reflect a general lack of support for scientists in the budget.

“It’s very important that the government realises it’s not just the amount of money that’s invested in research,” said Bob Williamson, science policy secretary for the Australian Academy of Science. “If we don’t provide secure career paths for the best researchers, they’ll take up opportunities elsewhere.”

Professor Williamson said the Australia Fellowship program was one of many initiatives designed to support researchers that end this year and which weren’t funded in the budget.

The scheme was designed to attract outstanding health and medical researchers from overseas and retain those in Australia.

Speaking yesterday at a House of Representatives committee hearing, academy president Kurt Lambeck said such joint projects failed to get a mention in the budget, despite having delivered “immeasurable benefits”.

Article from The Australian, May 2010.