CSIRO is asking wealthy donors and businesses for money. The national science agency cut jobs in late 2025, abandoned some research areas, and now CEO Doug Hilton is pitching philanthropists to fill the gap.
The numbers: Australia spends 1.6% of GDP on research. Comparable nations spend 5%. CSIRO gets 75% of its revenue from federal and state governments. Private Australian industry contributed $76.2 million in FY2023/24, which is 4.4% of total revenue. That context matters because the agency is now positioning itself as underfunded and open for business.
Hilton said CSIRO wants to follow the medical research playbook on tapping philanthropy. The agency already runs some commercial programs: Kick-Start offers $10,000 to $50,000 in matched funding for startups and SMEs to access CSIRO expertise. A separate SME initiative backs up to 750 small businesses with $20 million total.
On the venture side, CSIRO's investment arm Main Sequence has backed 51 companies since 2017 across two funds. Its third fund raised $450 million, taking total funds under management above $1 billion. That is the commercialisation story CSIRO points to when it talks about impact.
The job cuts hit hard. Almost a quarter came from environmental research, including climate adaptation science. Originally, half the cuts were planned for that unit. Hilton defended the decision, saying the agency struck the right balance and can still deliver the science Australia needs.
The infrastructure problem is real: 80% of CSIRO's 800 buildings are no longer fit for purpose. Leadership chose to narrow focus rather than spread resources too thin.
For commercial context: CSIRO competes with university commercialisation arms and venture funds backing science-led startups for funding and influence. Main Sequence is one of the more visible vehicles connecting Australian research to investment capital. The agency's strength is applied research and deep tech commercialisation, not direct competition with private labs.
The shift to private funding suggests CSIRO's external partnerships function is becoming more important as public R&D funding lags.