Australia is cutting A$328.5 million (US$232.4 million) from its research budget over the next four years, Nature News reports.
In particular, the 2019 research budget is to remain flat at 2018 level of A$1.92 billion, and but the planned $2.17 billion budget for 2022 is to instead be lowered to $2.05 billion, Nature News adds. The Sydney Morning Herald reports the cuts are likely to affect universities in New South Wales the most, as there is to be a $91 million reduction in funding to that state. Similarly, it says Victoria is to see an $84 million cut.
The Morning Herald adds that $134.8 million of these funds will be re-directed to regional universities.
Still, Nature News notes that some researchers in Australia are discouraged, especially as this comes after the Australian government announced a predicted budget surplus of A$4.1 billion for 2019 to 2020 and A$19 billion for 2021 to 2022
"These cuts are the wrong decision for Australia's future — and they will rob Australians of life-saving treatments, research to help prevent floods and bushfires, and advances in almost every aspect of people's lives," Catriona Jackson, the chief executive of Universities Australia, which represents universities, says in a statement.