Committee: Economics References Committee
Date referred: 26 November 2025
Submissions close: 30 January 2026
Reporting date: 28 April 2026

On 26 November 2025, the Senate referred the matter below to the Senate Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 31 March 2026. On 30 March 2026, the Senate agreed to extend the reporting date to 21 April 2026.

On 21 April 2026, the committee presented a Progress Report indicating that it was seeking an extension to 28 April 2026 to present its final report.

Terms of Reference

Funding and resourcing for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with particular reference to:

1. the nature of recent and proposed job and program cuts in the CSIRO;
2. the importance of public funding for public good science;
3. the importance of public resourcing of Australian sovereign scientific capability;
4. the recruitment and retention of staff including senior and mid-career researchers, along with the training and career paths of early-career researchers;
5. CSIRO’s commercialisation of scientific research;
6. the long-term capability needs of the CSIRO, including workforce, infrastructure and equipment;
7. the role and independence of the CSIRO’s leadership in making resourcing allocation decisions;
8. the effects of these cuts on the program of scientific work conducted by the CSIRO, including in relation to:
   1. areas of fundamental and basic scientific study that do not find ready industry funding partners,
   2. areas of scientific study that relate to emergent, pressing and/or priority issues like the pace, impact and mitigation of climate change including study of the oceans, biodiversity, agricultural adaption to a changing climate, and related issues, and
   3. the particular burden of proposed cuts on the Environment Research Unit; and
9. any related matters.