A week after announcing research staff cuts, CSIRO sets out its priorities – and the numbers of people who will pay for them.
The organisation states focus area now include:
- affordable energy transition including critical minerals to materials
- “the pressing problem of climate change,” focusing on adaption and resilience
- advanced tech – AI, quantum, sensing, robotics, manufacturing, for innovation “in core Australian industries”
- tech solutions for farming
- biosecurity.
Plus, there will be a pure research function, “disruptive science, and engineering to unlock the unknown and solve unanswered questions.”
“To achieve this sharpened focus” the organisation will “deprioritise” research where it lacks scale and “others in the ecosystem are better placed to deliver.”
CSIRO specifies research areas and staff numbers targeted for cuts in deprioritised areas:
- environment (up to 25- FTE)
- health and biosecurity (110 FTE)
- ag and food (55 FTE)
- mineral resources (35 FTE).
There is no word on what disciplines in the biosecurity portfolio are set to gain and which are to lose staff. Nor is there a reference to the Organisation’s need to find up to $135m to find tech and infrastructure refurbs, which featured heavily in the original staff reduction announcement.
Instead, the government is pitching the cuts as different, not less, science. As portfolio minister Tim Ayres told ABC TV News, “for the first time in 15 years, the CSIRO has had a systemic look at its research portfolio and is going through a process of making sure that portfolio is aligned with our national science priorities.
“Not all these programs run forever … as we shift towards the CSIRO having a greater focus on, say, an issue like climate adaptation, that does mean changing priorities.”