CSIRO has confirmed research will be “exited” as part of the agency’s reshaping. Photo: CSIRO.
The nation’s leading science and research agency is this week undertaking a four-day workshop aimed at deciding the future direction of its portfolios and staffing levels.
It has confirmed that research will be “exited” as part of the organisation’s “reshaping”.
However, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has rejected suggestions from the workforce that the meetings are trying to pit sections of the agency against each other in a fight for survival.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has criticised the workshop process currently underway at the CSIRO as a blunt way of getting research portfolios to compete against each other in the face of another round of staffing cuts.
Susan Tonks, the union’s secretary for CSIRO matters, likened the workshops to popular reality television series Survivor, in which contestants try to outsmart and outlast each other in order to stay in the game.
“Over the last year and a half, we’ve seen science support roles cut to the bone,” she said.
“Now, the axe is swinging at the core of CSIRO – scientists, researchers and their projects.
“Now CSIRO’s research leaders have been dragged into a Survivor-style contest and made to pitch for the survival of projects in their research units.
“But this is not reality TV. This is the future of Australian science and innovation.
“When different parts of our publicly funded science institution are forced to battle each other for resources, it’s Australia that loses.
“The government must step in, stop pitting scientists against each other and properly fund the CSIRO so that our world-leading researchers can focus on science, not on fighting for survival.”
CSIRO lost 440 jobs in the last financial year, but more are slated to go as the agency talks about “reshaping” the organisation.
According to staff involved in the workshops, research portfolio leaders are having to present their cases and argue why their science deserves to continue over others.
The CPSU says the tactic is little more than a ‘Survivor Tribal Council’ to decide which research and jobs will be extinguished.
The union says the process poses a “direct threat” to Australia’s future capacity to innovate, respond to national challenges and maintain its global leadership in science and research.
A CSIRO spokesperson stated that the workshops had nothing to do with research areas competing for survival, but confirmed that the agency was undergoing a period of change.
Some research will be cut – or as CSIRO put it, “exited” – in that process.
“CSIRO is reshaping its research portfolio to ensure we are focused on delivering the science Australia needs now and into the future,” the spokesperson said.
“To achieve this, we must retain the distinct advantages we have as Australia’s national science agency, but we also need to become simpler and sustainable.
“The cost of running a modern science agency has rapidly increased over several years and our funding hasn’t kept pace.
“We must adapt to this challenge, ensuring we use the funding entrusted to us by the community in the best way for the community.
“We will need to evolve, becoming sharper in our focus, doing fewer things – including exiting some research – better and at scale.
“The workshop we are holding this week is an important step to inform these decisions.
“We’re bringing together research leaders and external advisors to collectively consider our research portfolio to make sure we are set up to tackle the challenges Australia faces.
“ We’ll also draw on a range of other relevant inputs to inform the shape of our research portfolio.
“The workshop is not about research areas competing against each other.
“Any proposed changes will be done in line with well-established processes, policies and our enterprise agreement, including our commitment to consult with staff prior to decisions being made.”
