The mood in parts of Australia\u2019s national scientific agency is low after a mystery number of AI, robotics and data researchers were quietly let go within the last year.<\/p>\n
Since the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation announced it was \u201creshaping its research portfolio\u201d to deal with an imminent funding cliff<\/a> in 2024, speculation about whose jobs are on the line has spread like wildfire.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n Hundreds of roles in the health and biosecurity teams, including roles like finance, business and legal that support them, have already been cut. Within the agriculture and food research unit, hundreds more jobs hang in the balance.<\/p>\n Despite being spruiked as a key area of investment for Australia, the science agency\u2019s data research unit \u2013 responsible for advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing \u2013 is the next to be put under the microscope.<\/p>\n Data research roles \u2018cut by stealth\u2019<\/p>\n The staff at Data61, the artificial intelligence and data innovation unit, have already seen about 100 of their colleagues leave in the last year, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.<\/p>\n CSIRO\u2019s chief executive, Doug Hilton, told a Senate estimates hearings last year no job cuts were planned for the data research team, and there would be no additional cuts to research capacity in 2024-25<\/p>\n But the union says more than 100 full-time research roles on two or three-year contracts were not renewed, nor replaced, in the last year.<\/p>\n The job losses represent about 20% of the research unit\u2019s total workforce.<\/p>\n The union\u2019s CSIRO spokesperson, Susan Tonks, said management had \u201cdeliberately and systematically\u201d chopped the roles behind closed doors to avoid scrutiny.<\/p>\n In September this year, CSIRO said Data61 now had too many administrative staff given the reduced number of research staff. It meant some of those roles would need to be \u201creduced\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThese cuts by stealth, made without transparency and with the union shut out of the process, are now being used to justify even more job losses,\u201d Tonks said.<\/p>\n Prof Doug Hilton, the CEO of the CSIRO. Photograph: WEHI<\/p>\n Guardian Australia asked CSIRO a series of questions, including how many contract positions it had discontinued in the last financial year.<\/p>\n \u201cCSIRO is reshaping its research portfolio to ensure we are focused on delivering the science Australia needs now and into the future,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition, CSIRO research units, including Data61, routinely conduct workforce planning which may result in small-scale changes.\u201d<\/p>\n Data61 morale \u2018from light to dark on a whim\u2019<\/p>\n One researcher within Data61, not authorised to speak publicly, said the past 18 months had been their most uncertain at the science agency.<\/p>\n After plans to \u201creshape\u201d the agency were announced to staff, the long-serving Data61 researcher recalled staff assuming that meant some colleagues would have to be made redundant.<\/p>\n \u201cIt went like from light to dark on a whim,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n CSIRO\u2019s funding cliff had been on the horizon but in early 2024, reality hit.<\/p>\n The agency\u2019s chief operating officer, Tom Munyard, explained in November 2024<\/a> $454m had been provided in the October 2020 budget. It was due to end in 2023-24.<\/p>\n The 2024 federal budget papers showed CSIRO would receive $916.5m for 2024-25, a $92m decrease from the previous year\u2019s $1bn.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Breaking News Australia<\/p>\n Get the most important news as it breaks<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n As a result, CSIRO looked to make savings in all areas, including reducing its property portfolio and limiting staff travel.<\/p>\n But between 375 and 500 support roles \u2013 including administration, finance and legal \u2013 were identified to be cut.<\/p>\n Another Data61 researcher said a number of contracted researchers were not offered permanent roles when their multi-year contracts expired.<\/p>\n