The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

What is it famous for? Outside Australia, it is mainly known for killing rabbits, although this is far from a major function. The CSIRO's charter is to use science to benefit Australia — industrially, environmentally and socially. How does it help the environment? It is often heavily involved in campaigns against invaders such as rabbits and foxes. The CSIRO also supported the move to replace the Easter bunny with an Easter bilby. (The bilby, or rabbit-eared bandicoot, is a native Australian animal, once common in southern Australia but now endangered because of competition from rabbits. Chocolate bilbies are now available in some Australian supermarkets.) The most recent anti-rabbit campaign was the development of calicivirus, which hit headlines when it was accidentally released earlier than intended. How did it start? It was formed by Government decree, embodied in the Science and Industrial Research Act of 1949, which stated that a primary function of the CSIRO would be to assist Australian industry. Where does the money come from? Mostly from the Australian Government, but the CSIRO is required to obtain at least 30% of its funds from outside sources. The major source of these outside funds is private industry, but a significant component (A$ 41 million) also comes from rural Research and Development Corporations, which commission research of interest to a particular industry and collect money by levy from companies within the industry. Once an industry has elected to support a Research Board, contributions are mandatory and are often matched dollar for dollar by the government. What is the total budget? The budget for the year ending June 1996 was A$ 618 million (about US$470 million), of which A$418 million came from the Federal Government. The levels of federal funding for the three-year cycle beginning in July 1996 seemed, when they were announced, to preserve the CSIRO's funding levels intact, but it has since become clear that the Government has introduced a complicated web of clawbacks. The net effect is that the CSIRO will have to pay the Government a total of A$ 10 million out of the funds it receives in the next three years. Although the CSIRO is not as hard hit by the funding reductions as some other federal agencies, it is clear that some difficult times are ahead. What does it spend the money on? The 7 000 permanent employees of the CSIRO are focused on 'strategic research'. …