Australia’s STEM sector is facing an escalating funding crisis, with a peak body warning the federal government the system is now under “unsustainable strain”.
A pre-budget submission from Science and Technology Australia warns that chronic underfunding and workforce instability are pushing scientists out of the sector.
New survey data from Science and Technology Australia and Professionals Australia found 47% of STEM professionals are considering leaving their current roles, while one in three are planning to leave the sector entirely.
The analysis attributes the trend to low grant success rates, short-term contracts and stagnant research funding.
The submission states that Commonwealth funding for STEM research has flatlined in real terms in recent years, failing to keep pace with inflation or workforce growth.
STA has called for immediate funding stabilisation through CPI-indexed increases to research grant programs and funding agencies.
STA president Jas Chambers said continued underinvestment risks long-term economic and national security consequences.
Chambers argued STEM research should be treated as an investment rather than a budgetary cost, citing evidence that every dollar invested in research and development delivers returns of between $3 and $5 to the economy.
The warning comes ahead of the federal budget, with the sector urging the government to act to prevent further loss of skills and expertise.
