CSIRO is set to eliminate up to 500 support roles as part of a significant organisational restructure.

As part of efforts to reduce operational costs by $100 million, cuts have been announced.

CSIRO Chief Executive Doug Hilton outlined the restructure in an email to staff (PDF) this week. 

The planned reductions are part of the Enterprise Services Reform project, which was first announced in February 2024. 

The initiative is designed to streamline the CSIRO's support functions, including administration, IT, finance, and legal services, in response to broader economic pressures.

“To support CSIRO’s financial sustainability, we need to reduce costs across enterprise services by 25 per cent – which is at least $100 million,” Dr Hilton stated. 

“Based on modelling conducted as part of Wave 3, I can now share that the staff impact during Wave 3 of the restructure is likely to be between 375 and 500 roles.”

The announcement comes as a severe blow to the agency, particularly as it closely follows National Science Week, a time traditionally reserved for celebrating the CSIRO’s contributions to Australian innovation and science.

The CSIRO Staff Association, representing the affected employees, has reacted strongly to the news, labelling the cuts as potentially devastating for the organisation’s research capabilities. 

Susan Tonks, Secretary of the Staff Association, described the job losses as a “dark day” for the CSIRO.

“These cuts are a body blow for CSIRO and have the potential to cripple research output as scientists scramble to cover support gaps,” Tonks said. 

“However, we know that research positions at CSIRO are not safe and the cuts just keep on coming.”

This latest wave of job losses adds to a growing list of cuts across various divisions within the CSIRO. 

Earlier in the year, reductions were confirmed in Health and Biosecurity (43 roles), Agriculture and Food (30 roles), and Manufacturing (5 roles). 

Further cuts are expected at Data61, with up to 120 roles potentially at risk, and strong rumours suggest that the Environment business unit may lose around 65 positions.

The Staff Association has called on Science Minister Ed Husic to intervene, urging the government to restore funding and prevent further erosion of the CSIRO's workforce. 

“These current cuts are on track to be the worst since Tony Abbott slashed CSIRO funding in 2014,” Tonks said, questioning the apparent contradiction between the Labor Government’s pro-science agenda and the ongoing cuts.

“Staff can’t believe that a Labor Government - with a pro-science agenda and interventionist industry policy - are set to preside over hundreds of job cuts to Australia’s top researchers,” she added.

In his communication, Dr Hilton acknowledged the broader economic difficulties driving the restructuring, citing global uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and increased demands on public spending as key factors. 

He said that the organisation would seek to minimise the impact on staff by exploring additional savings in the operating budget, natural attrition, and voluntary redundancies where possible.

Despite these efforts, Dr Hilton conceded that there is no avoiding a “confronting reality” for the CSIRO's Enterprise Services employees, who now face an uncertain future as the organisation moves forward with its cost-cutting measures.