The Australian Academy of Science said today’s federal Budget is mixed for science; investing in some areas while pulling funding from others.
'While the new Medical Research Future Fund provides a positive vision, the rest of Australian science is left substantially weakened,' said Academy President, Professor Suzanne Cory.
The Budget cuts at least $420 million over the forward estimates to five vital science agencies — the Australian Research Council (ARC) ($74.9 million), the CSIRO ($111.4 million), the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) ($120 million), Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) ($27.6 million), and Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) ($7.8 million) – as well as the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) program ($80 million).
These cuts come after an overall decline in the science budget of $470 million since 2011.
The Academy welcomes the target to double National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) spending by 2022, new spending on the Future Fellowships program for mid-career researchers, additional support for the Agricultural R&D Corporations, the continuation of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), and a new commitment to the Academy’s education programs Primary Connections and Science by Doing.
'Funding for research infrastructure is vital and we hope this is just the first stage of a longer term vision to support major infrastructure,' Professor Cory said. 'But the introduction of tuition fees for research students in PhD programs is of great concern as these students are the engine for our nation’s research.
We need to increase our science investment now and grow it for decades to come. The commitment to medical research needs to be matched in the rest of the science sector or we will not be able to meet Australia’s big challenges.”
Ticks and crosses for the 2014 science budget:
The cuts
The ticks
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