The Turnbull government has set itself the goal for the CSIRO to become the "world's premier public research organisation" within 10 years.
Speaking on Monday night at a CSIRO gala dinner in Melbourne, the Minister for Science, Greg Hunt, said: "This is an ambitious goal, but it is achievable over the coming decade.
"It's about pursuing pure public good research as a foundation stone for our knowledge and capabilities," Mr Hunt said.
In language that one CSIRO employee said was a big shift from a narrow focus on commercialisation, Mr Hunt said: "[This is also] about emphasising the importance of long-term climate science from our unique place in the southern hemisphere."
By one measure, the SCIMAGO Institutions Rankings, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research organisation is ranked 22nd in the world. Reuters ranks CSIRO as 20th most innovative research institution, where as Nature Publishing ranks the federal science organisation way back at 279th.
On Monday, Mr Hunt also announced he will be working with CSIRO to develop a new "statement of expectations" to form the basis of operations for the next 20 years.
Soon after taking over the portfolio in July, Mr Hunt issued a ministerial directive to the CSIRO board "to put the focus back on climate science" after a restructure in that division saw 35 jobs cut as part of more than 250 job losses across the organisation.
The CSIRO chief executive, Larry Marshall, had said climate research should focus on mitigation and adaptation, rather than forecasting and modelling.
The ambition to be the world's best public research organisation has drawn a mixed response.
One senior CSIRO scientist who spoke on condition of anonymity said that in order for the government to realise its ambition there needed to be "real clarity on CSIRO's mission and how it is funded".
She said: "CSIRO no longer has control over its research agenda because we rely so heavily on external funders."
Staff have become cynical and confused, she said, because "priorities flip every 18 months – it's just been insane".
However, she said there had been a positive shift under the new minister that was like a "political whiplash".
Another researcher, Dr Cathy Foley, who is science director of manufacturing for CSIRO, said the ambition outlined by Mr Hunt was "exciting and not unrealistic".
She is working in the new advanced integrated materials "future science platform". Mr Hunt announced six new "future science platforms" investing $52 million a year by 2019-20. The funds are to come from within existing budgets.
"We are going to companies and asking them what will they need in 2030," she said.
"Take Sydney Water. They want to replace all their pipes with 'smart pipes'. So we are working with them to develop pipes that are self-healing and can detect drugs or chemicals," Dr Foley said.
Quantum physicist Michael Biercuk at the University of Sydney is a visiting scientist at the National Measurement Institute, which is located at a CSIRO facility.
"Any shift to support long-term public good research is to be welcomed. However, it must be supported by additional investment," Associate Professor Biercuk said.
John Church, a former CSIRO fellow in climate research, said that in order to achieve the government's global ambition it would need to invest. He asked how it would be measured. "You can't award yourself a gold medal," he said.
"Any organisation is only as good as the best people you can attract," Dr Church said. "Morale is abysmal at the moment. What's needed is long-term vision."
Dr Church welcomed what he said seemed to be "some movement in that direction".
This story first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald
