R&D: A smart investment

Declining R&D funding is putting Australia's future at risk. It’s time to restore investment in science to serve our national interests.

When science thrives, so do we

In an era of massive geopolitical, technological and environmental disruption, investing in science is not a luxury. It is a strategic necessity.

Countries around the world know this, which is why they have pivoted to meet geopolitical challenges by investing in R&D. Scientific research drives innovation, boosts productivity, grows the economy, and allows us to flourish and stay safe in a rapidly changing world. But in Australia, government and private investment in research and development is at record low, and our science system is at breaking point. The Academy is calling for a 10-year investment plan to reverse the funding backslide and restore Australia’s R&D capability.

2026–7 Budget must mark turning point for Australian R&D investment

Our once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a better science system starts now. What the Government chooses to prioritise in this Budget will shape Australia’s future for decades.

Incentivising business investment in R&D

Australian investment in R&D is at a historic low. Within five years, Australia will be at the bottom of the OECD. The Academy proposes a budget-positive solution that incentivises large businesses to invest in R&D.

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How to secure a sustainable science system

The Academy’s pre-Budget submission identifies key actions to kickstart the revitalisation of R&D in Australia. Addressing the science funding challenge will take several budgets, and must begin with this one.

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A woman wearing a white lab coat, face mask and blue latex gloves working with test tubes, a petri dish and a microscope

Australia's fundamental research crisis

Fundamental research is the wellspring of innovation. There is no ‘D’ without ‘R’. The Academy responds to the Government’s Strategic Examination of Research and Development, which fails to address declining investment in discovery research.

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Professor Jagadish sits in a chair speaking into a microphone in front of a purple backdrop which reads 'National Press Club of Australia'

Australia’s choice: Science and technology in an era of disruption

Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC outlines what’s at stake for Australia’s future as the nation chooses how to prioritise science and technology.

Read the full address