Federal Budget 2015 - science funding cuts on the horizon

Today’s Federal Budget shows that while there is a welcome reprieve for science funding in 2015-16, further cuts of around $290 million to key Australian science and research programs lie on the horizon.

Despite immediate relief for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure scheme (NCRIS) and an ongoing commitment to establish a Medical Research Future Fund, overall funding for science in Australia will continue to decline.

Read the Academy's response to the Budget

Ticks and crosses for the 2015 science budget:

Ticks and crosses for the 2015 science budget:

The crosses

• $262.5 million cuts to university block grants
• $26.8 million cut to Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs)

The ticks

• Two-year continued funding for NCRIS
• Establishment of the Medical Research Future Fund
• $13 million extra for the Australian Synchrotron
• $22.3 million increase for ANSTO
• $9.4 million increase for Antarctic research and $15.3 million for tropical medical research