More information has emerged on the research impact of CSIRO job cuts, as the formal consultation period for the proposal draws to a close.
However, key details of Executive’s plans remain obscured, including the physical location of the job cuts, meaning the anxious wait for clarity is now up to four months and counting.
Meanwhile, there have been concerning reports from individual meetings, complaints that CSIRO have presented inaccurate job descriptions for potentially redundant staff, in some cases many years out of date.
In one instance, a potentially affected researcher was presented with a job description from more than a decade earlier, back when they were a postdoc.
The Environment research unit (RU) is on track to lose between 130 and 150 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.
CSIRO’s updated proposal predicts a “reduction of 102 positions (94 redundancies and eight early term cessation) (the) Environment unit will be approximately 600 FTE,” with remaining losses presumably comprised of non-renewal of term appointments, resignations and retirements.
A reorganised structure will now feature five research programs, with the aim to “facilitate greater integration of research areas… bring together capabilities to deliver impact across domains and geographies (and) increase efficiency, and effectiveness to deliver against our future programs of research and increase science impact.”
“The existing eight-program structure is a legacy of the merger of the Land and Water and Oceans and Atmosphere units… there are duplicative capabilities within Environment and across other research units.”
“Addressing the pressing problem of climate change remains a key focus, with a renewed emphasis on adaptation and resilience… we are not exiting core environmental science. Rather, the proposed changes target lower-impact and duplicative activities.”
“It reinforces our national leadership across key research areas including freshwater, marine, climate and adaptation science and in social science,” the proposal states.
The proposed reduction in the Health and Biosecurity research unit is between 100 and 110 FTE positions.
CSIRO Executive are exploring “if merging Health and Biosecurity and the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) into a single unit would create opportunities to increase science impact in biosecurity alongside existing strengths in One Health.”
“We are not viewing this as a driver to address financial sustainability of either unit. We are considering the merits of a merger for greater science impact.”
“Realignment into two Units each with clear purpose and complementary roles…. (an) Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) Facility… a standalone Facility with Director and Leadership Team.
“CSIRO Biosecurity Research Unit… RU structure with Director and Leadership Team including the ACDP Director (ex officio member) will be formed from merging of research staff from AAHL and Health and Biosecurity, Manufacturing (Biomedical Manufacturing Program) and a small movement of staff from Agriculture and Food.”
“There will no longer be RUs called Australian Animal Health Laboratory and Health and Biosecurity.”
There are between 45-55 FTE Agriculture and Food research positions currently on the block.
The updated proposal from the RU forecasts a “net headcount reduction of 52… including 57 potential redundancies, 3 early term cessations and 8 potential new positions (with) current headcount of 656 and a proposed headcount of 604.”
The five existing research programs will be reduced to four and renamed to “align capability with programs of research and to simplify structure.”
Changes to science areas will result in the “exit of microbial technologies, strain engineering, precision fermentation, and aligned capabilities in the Food Program as applied to food ingredients and products.
“Exit food manufacturing and ingredient innovation and aligned capabilities in the Food Program, including the national food innovation network.”
“Exit animal-based research that does not clearly deliver to farming system improvements and the objectives of the Productive and Resilient Farms program of research.”
Last November, CSIRO estimated there would be between 25 and 35 FTE positions cut from the Minerals research unit.
Minerals leadership now estimate “a proposed reduction of 34 positions (and) reorganisation of our structure from five to four (research) programs… 14 FTE via redundancies… 4 FTE through early term cessations (and) 16 FTE by natural term ends.”
“The Mineral Resources Research Unit is operating in a changing external environment, with industry research and development demand shaped by commodity cycles, decarbonisation responses, and heightened geopolitical focus on critical mineral supply chains.”
“External market shifts are increasing uncertainty around the scale and timing of external revenue, with lower forecasts and continued uncertainty over returns from commercialised intellectual property.”
Research impacts include the “cessation of software development work, and software deployment support, where the software platform has been commercialised, or where the further development pathway has not been validated.”
There will be a “reduction in roles in areas of declining research focus including flotation and fluids engineering and associated modelling capability… cessation of H3 experimental and computational geochemistry research… reshaping our capability and skills mix in engineering, geophysics and analytical facilities,” plus a “reduction in project-specific administrative support.”