Key Takeaways
- Government science funding cuts since the 2023 election have eliminated roughly 700 jobs and withdrawn hundreds of millions of dollars from the sector.
- Many highly qualified scientists now face severe under‑employment, taking jobs that pay as little as one‑third of their previous salaries or working only a few hours per week.
- Financial desperation has led some researchers to homelessness, suicidal thoughts, or reliance on inheritances to emigrate for work abroad.
- The Save Science Coalition advocates raising New Zealand’s science‑and‑research spending to 2 % of GDP (with at least 0.6 % earmarked for public science) and legislating recognition of the public good of research.
- Current investment sits at about 1.4 % of GDP, well below the OECD benchmark of 3 %.
- Help lines and crisis services are listed for anyone experiencing distress related to job loss or mental‑health strain.
Background of Funding Cuts
Since the 2023 general election, successive budget decisions have trimmed New Zealand’s science and research envelope, prompting the disestablishment of several Crown research institutes and the scaling back of programmes administered by Callaghan Innovation. According to the Save Science Coalition, these measures have resulted in the loss of approximately 700 full‑time equivalent positions and the withdrawal of hundreds of millions of dollars that previously supported basic and applied research. The coalition characterizes the cuts as a systematic withdrawal of support that undermines the nation’s capacity to innovate and respond to future challenges.
Impact on Scientists’ Livelihoods
The immediate consequence of the funding reductions has been a dramatic deterioration in employment conditions for scientists across the country. Andrea Bubendorfer, a former Callaghan Innovation employee, described watching highly skilled colleagues accept positions that pay only a fraction of their former salaries—sometimes as low as one‑third of what they earned previously. In many cases, researchers are forced into part‑time or casual work, logging as little as two hours per week, which hardly covers basic living expenses. This widespread under‑employment erodes both financial stability and professional morale.
Personal Stories of Financial Ruin
Bubendorfer recounted several stark examples of the human toll. She knows of a scientist who was reduced to “their last dollar” before managing to leave New Zealand only after receiving an inheritance from a deceased parent. Prior to that windfall, the individual could not secure even a low‑skill job such as night‑fill shelving at a supermarket. Other colleagues have become homeless, and some have expressed suicidal ideation, unable to see a pathway out of their financial predicament. These anecdotes illustrate how the funding squeeze translates into concrete, life‑threatening hardship for highly trained professionals.
Migration Overseas as a Survival Strategy
Faced with limited prospects at home, many scientists are looking overseas for employment that matches their qualifications. Bubendorfer noted that those who manage to emigrate often find work quickly once they arrive, suggesting that the skills themselves remain in demand internationally. The barrier is not a lack of ability but the domestic market’s inability to absorb talent. This brain‑drain risk threatens to deprive New Zealand of the very expertise needed to drive future innovation and economic growth.
The Role of Callaghan Innovation Disestablishment
Callaghan Innovation, the agency tasked with bridging research and commercialisation, has been a focal point of the recent cuts. Its ongoing disestablishment has eliminated many of the grants, fellowships, and industry partnership programmes that previously sustained early‑career and mid‑career researchers. Bubendorfer, who lost her own position as part of this process, emphasized that the agency’s dismantling has not only removed funding but also weakened the ecosystem that translates scientific discovery into societal benefit.
Policy Recommendations from Save Science Coalition
In response to the crisis, the Save Science Coalition has put forward a clear set of demands. It calls for raising national science‑and‑research expenditure to 2 % several percent of gross domestic product (GDP), with a minimum of 0.6 % of GDP dedicated specifically to public‑good science. Additionally, the coalition urges the government to enact legislation that formally recognises the public value of scientific research alongside its commercial returns, ensuring that funding decisions account for broader societal benefits such as disaster preparedness, biodiversity conservation, and long‑term productivity gains.
Evidence of Underinvestment Compared to OECD
The coalition’s report, Underfunding our Future, highlights that New Zealand currently invests roughly 1.4 % of its GDP in science and research. This figure falls short of the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) average of about 3 %, placing the country well behind many peers that treat science as a cornerstone of economic strategy. Bubendorfer argues that this gap directly contributes to the nation’s productivity challenges, noting that prosperous economies consistently attribute their success to sustained investment in science and technology.
Resources for Mental Health Support
Recognising the psychological strain caused by job loss and financial insecurity, the article concludes with a comprehensive list of helplines and support services available nationwide. These include the free “Need to Talk?” service (1737), Lifeline (0800 543 354), the Suicide Crisis Helpline (0508 828 865), Depression Helpline (0800 111 757), Samaritans (0800 726 666), Youthline, What’s Up, Asian Family Services, Rural Support Trust, Healthline, Rainbow Youth, OUTLine, and the Aoake te Rā bereaved‑by‑suicide service. In emergencies, readers are urged to dial 111. Providing these details underscores the article’s commitment to directing those in distress toward immediate, professional assistance.