The federal government’s reshaped funding package for STEM diversity was laid out for the first time on Tuesday, revealing long-term extensions and tweaks to several programs but the end of others.
A long-running citizen science grant program joins the Women in STEM ambassador and the Boosting Female Founders Initiatives as casualties of the Albanese government’s changes to STEM diversity efforts.
But other established programs like Science in Australia Gender Equity, Superstars of STEM and the STEM Equity Monitor have seen funding boosts and security to the end of the decade and beyond.
Several of the continuing programs are changing, however, after a review of STEM diversity efforts found the existing versions had struggled to drive change.
The review, released six months ago, found STEM workers from diverse cohorts face additional and often intersecting barriers that prevent or curtail careers, while “systemic and structural” barriers are excluding or holding them back.
A $38 million STEM diversity package was announced in the May Budget as part of the government’s response, but was only detailed on Monday by Science minister Ed Husic.
“This new funding will ensure we’re training and attracting young people into STEM learning and training and paving the way for a stronger STEM future for Australia,” Mr Husic told the National Youth Science Forum.
The forum, which has helped encourage young people’s STEM careers for forty years, is receiving an additional $1.8 million over four years from 2024-25 from the package.
Other programs sharing in the Budget package, revealed by the Industry department are:
- The Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grants received an additional $8.5 million to fund long term projects, in line with a recommendation in the review
- Science in Australia Gender Equity received an additional $7.1 million to expand its diversity in science accreditation framework, which was backed by the review
- Superstars of STEM will receive an additional $3.8 million over seven years after the review backed the impact of it highlighting STEM experts in the media but asked for it to expand its data collection
- The Girls in STEM Toolkit received an extra $2 million over five years to continue providing resources for students, parents and teachers to encourage girls’ interest in STEM. The program will be asked to expand to other underrepresented groups and supports after the review found there is an opportunity to integrate it with curriculum resources
- The STEM Equity Monitor received around $115,000 a year more to facilitate data collection on additional underrepresented groups in STEM education and organisations and monitor the impact of other government programs
- Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM program has been renamed to Elevate: Boosting Diversity in STEM and extended to 2032 to allow more part-time scholars to finish their study
The Industry department said the announcement of the funding includes the closing of the Citizen Science Grants and the Boosting Female Founders Initiative.
Citizen Science Grants were part of the long running Inspiring Australia – Science Engagement Programme. They have mostly funded universities to engage the public in research and science efforts by contributing samples and data.
Announced in 2018, the Boosting Female Founders Initiative was the federal government’s only program for female startup founders and was quietly scrapped earlier this year after Industry department analysis judged it to have made no “measurable impact” on the wider startup ecosystem.
Neither program was examined by the STEM diversity review.
“Closing these programs enables funding to be redirected to other science engagement and diversity programs. Support for citizen science remains available via other pathways, including state and territory governments,” the Industry department said.
The Women in STEM Ambassador program was already phased out earlier this year after the diversity review recommended its functions be amalgamated into other programs.
A formal response from the Albanese government to the review is expected within weeks.
Science and STEM groups welcomed their funding boosts on Wednesday, saying it secures important work for years to come.
Science and Technology Australia deputy CEO and Superstars of STEM program manager Dr Sandra Gardam said the boost will add 120 more STEM experts to a program that has already elevated 210 scientists since 2017
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