Statement on the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review

Why diversity in STEM matters

Equity is not optional – it is foundational. Ensuring women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse Australians can benefit from well-paid jobs in STEM is essential to building a fair country.

Australia’s diversity is a national strength. Australia’s rich mix of cultures, experiences and perspectives fuels innovation. A diverse STEM workforce is better placed to build local capability and deliver inclusive solutions for all Australians.

Workforce equity strengthens national resilience. A diverse STEM workforce is better equipped to solve complex challenges – from climate change to digital transformation. Attracting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds will help meet the growing demand for STEM workers and pave the way for a Future Made in Australia.  

A whole-of-life approach to STEM diversity

To make progress, the government is funding the STEM Equity Monitor with an additional $0.7 million over 6 years from 2024–25 to collect better data, across more diversity cohorts, and to monitor for change.

Primary and secondary education

Improving participation and achievement in STEM in schools

• The Australian and state and territory governments agreed the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025–2034 and the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement – Full and Fair Funding 2025–2034 (collectively known as the BFSA), which aim to lift student outcomes, including in STEM subjects. One of the national reform directions in the BFSA is for jurisdictions and the non-government school sector to implement initiatives that encourage student uptake of high-quality STEM education opportunities.
• The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is providing $20 million over 10 years (2018 to 2028) for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in consortium with CareerTrackers to deliver the Young Indigenous Women’s STEM Academy. This supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to engage in STEM from Year 8 to tertiary education and into the workforce.
• The Diversity in STEM Toolkit provides resources for students, parents and teachers to encourage interest in STEM and STEM careers. A $2 million expansion of the existing Girls in STEM Toolkit will reach more diverse young people.

Boosting the STEM teaching workforce

• The Department of Education is funding initiatives under the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan to expand the teaching workforce, including specialist STEM teachers.
• The NIAA is providing $5 million over 10 years (2018 to 2028) for the Stronger Smarter Institute’s Teachers of STEM Initiative to support up to 99 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to complete a STEM teaching qualification.
• An increase to the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching in both primary and secondary schools to $250,000 is recognising and promoting high quality science teaching.

Supporting STEM educators

• National education agencies are helping educators to teach STEM in a way that responds to diverse student needs. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority is reviewing and updating resources to help teachers and schools implement version 9 of the Australian curriculum.
• CSIRO Education is providing teacher professional development programs and resources to support quality STEM education, including the STEM Professionals in Schools program.
• Questacon is working with educators in all states and territories to build and embed STEM knowledge and skills, and build communities of practice. Initiatives include Questacon STEM Futures, Engineering is Elementary and Questacon Regional Leaders.
• The government is providing $34.6 million over 4 years from 2024–25 for Education Services Australia to deliver the Teacher Resource Hubs initiative. This delivers evidence-based, quality-assured curriculum and student wellbeing support materials to teachers and school leaders nationally.

Building interest in STEM pathways 

• Questacon’s exhibitions and national engagement activities, and CSIRO’s Education and Outreach activities, spark interest and awareness in STEM careers. This includes dedicated programs for regional and remote areas of Australia and promoting Indigenous science in the media.
• The government’s Inspiring Australia initiative builds awareness and appreciation of STEM and includes targeted measures to encourage diverse cohorts to engage with STEM. This includes National Science Week, Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. Each year National Science Week connects around 3 million Australians through science engagement activities and interactions with a diverse STEM workforce.
• The government provided an additional $1.8 million over 4 years from 2024–25 for the National Youth Science Forum to encourage more young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue STEM education and careers.
• The government is providing an additional $3.8 million over 7 years from 2024–25 to the Superstars of STEM to boost the number of diverse role models who can positively influence and inspire people to pursue STEM education and careers.

Tertiary education: Vocational education and training (VET) and universities

Supporting accessible and high-quality VET

• The 5-year National Skills Agreement, which started in January 2024, includes $12.6 billion for states and territories to deliver high-quality, responsive education and training for a skilled workforce of the future. National priorities to address skills shortages in STEM-related areas include, supporting the net zero transformation, developing Australia’s sovereign capability and food security, and ensuring Australia’s digital and technology capability. This will support higher‑quality skills training and actions to reduce barriers faced by underrepresented cohorts in tertiary education.
• Building on the success of the Free TAFE program (500,000 Free TAFE and VET places from 2023 to 2026), the government is funding states and territories to deliver 100,000 Free TAFE places every year from 2027. Places will continue to be offered in areas of national skills needs, including in STEM fields, and prioritised to cohorts who benefit the most from the removal of financial barriers to study, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, youth and people living with a disability.
• The government’s $60.6 million Building Women’s Careers Program will drive systemic structural and cultural change in training and work environments critical to the Future Made in Australia initiative. This will improve women’s access to flexible, safe and inclusive training and work opportunities in key male-dominated industries and sectors including clean energy and digital and technology.
• The National Skills Agreement sets out the Commonwealth’s commitment to working with the states and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations to establish a nationally networked VET policy partnership to progress Closing the Gap outcomes, commencing with the First Nations VET Interim Partnership Committee.The intended outcome of the VET policy partnership is to strengthen high-quality skills offerings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, leading to improved employment opportunities.  

Ensuring universities are safe and inclusive

• The government is delivering reforms to Australia’s tertiary education system in response to the Australian Universities Accord Final Report. This includes the Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education, with the first ever National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence to commence from 1 January 2026. Effort in response to the Accord also includes changes to increase equity and improve participation and attainment by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and students from lower socio‑economic backgrounds and regional areas.
• CSIRO will deliver 12 Indigenous STEM Scholarships at key Australian universities, which will provide financial assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and build a pipeline of Indigenous STEM talent for the nation.
• The Elevate: Boosting Diversity in STEM program partners with industry to grow the pool of women and non-binary leaders in STEM through university scholarships and wrap around supports. The government has extended this program to 2031‍–‍32 to allow part-time scholars to finish their studies.

Inclusive STEM workplaces and career paths

Supporting systemic changes to STEM workplaces

• Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality outlines the government’s vision for gender equality in Australia, including action on reducing gender segregation in industries and occupations.
• Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grants continue to grow and expand existing projects that support women and girls to build STEM skills and succeed in high growth employment areas. These grants support projects that aim for lasting systemic change by eliminating barriers for women’s participation in STEM education, careers and entrepreneurship.
• The Science in Australia Gender and Equity (SAGE) program received an additional $7.1 million over 5 years from 2024–25 to ensure workplaces in the higher education, research and vocational education sector are safe, diverse, inclusive and free from discrimination in all its forms.
• Changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in December 2022 introduced a positive duty on employers to eliminate, as far as possible, certain discriminatory conduct, including sexual harassment, sex discrimination and sex-based harassment.
• Changes to the Workplace Gender Equality (Matters in relation to Gender Equality Indicators) Instrument in 2023 enhanced employer reporting requirements to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency on sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of sex or discrimination.
• Changes to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 in 2025 require employers of 500 or more employees to set and make progress on gender equality targets.
• The government has made changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 to ensure women are safe in their workplaces, and have workplace conditions that support them. 

Acting as a model employer for STEM-skilled workers

• The Australian Public Service (APS) and relevant Commonwealth agencies set the standard as model employers of STEM-workers. The APS has no tolerance for bullying, harassment or discrimination in its workplaces.
• The APS is taking action to create safe and inclusive work environments. The APS Employee Value Proposition, released in November 2023, communicates a strong values statement to attract and retain diverse talent. It is underpinned by strategies and programs, including diversity and inclusion strategies with targets, and a commitment to offer flexibility for all roles in the APS.
• Australia’s science-related government organisations are creating safe and inclusive workplaces where people of all backgrounds can belong, including the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR), CSIRO and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.
• The National Measurement Institute’s (NMI) Belonging Strategy complements the DISR Inclusion Strategy 2025–29. It will attract and retain a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable STEM workforce with broad cultural representation by diversifying entry pathways into NMI whilst uplifting employee capability.
• In 2023, Geoscience Australia (GA) was the first Australian organisation to receive three SAGE Cygnet Awards in recognition of its commitment to embedding genuine and sustainable gender equity, and a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. GA received a fourth award in 2025.

Holding STEM employers to account

• The government is ensuring the businesses it procures goods and services from are committed to safe and diverse workplaces.
• In October 2025, the government launched a new Supplier Portal for government procurement. When a business registers on the Supplier Portal it will be able to display its key characteristics, for example whether it is a women-owned business or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business.
  • From 2026–27, the government will report on the number of contracts being awarded to women-owned businesses.
• Stronger procurement processes took effect from 1 July 2024:
  • The Commonwealth Supplier Code of Conduct sets an expectation that suppliers act to prevent discrimination and harassment. It also encourages suppliers to improve gender equality in the workplace and support a diverse and inclusive workforce.
  • The Skills Guarantee Procurement Connected Policy introduced targets for employment of women on major Commonwealth information and communications technology and construction procurements.
• Government agencies are using grant opportunity guidelines and agreements to ensure grant applicants and recipients are aware of, and comply with, relevant legislation. If an agency identifies that a grant recipient has breached the requirement to comply with relevant legislation it may terminate the funding agreement. An agency may also consider relevant past misconduct when assessing future funding applications.
• The Industry and Science portfolio is strengthening requirements for grant applicants to eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination. This includes requiring grant applicants to identify and commit to actions to increase safety, diversity and inclusion as a condition of the grant, and as part of the assessment criteria
• The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is requiring all research institutions receiving funding to have policies to ensure research environments are free from bias, discrimination and harassment, and that there are procedures to fairly address these behaviours.

Elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and participation in STEM

• The National Science and Research Priorities are elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems.
• The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science includes a new Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems of $250,000 per year, awarded from 2025.
• The Australian Research Council (ARC) Indigenous Forum commenced in 2024 and comprises eminent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and research leaders. It is working with the ARC Board to promote leadership, opportunities and career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and researchers in the university sector.
• NHMRC has annual targets to fund projects that benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for research led by a chief investigator of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. (Refer to NHMRC's Corporate Plan.)
• CSIRO is growing the pipeline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and increasing research led by, or in collaboration with, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• CSIRO’s Indigenous Research Grants Program fosters collaborative partnerships for priorities identified by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Improving STEM career pathways for STEM-skilled migrants

• The government has implemented the majority of commitments under the Migration Strategy, which was released in December 2023 to address findings of the Review of the Migration System:
  • The government introduced a new National Innovation Visa which targets exceptionally talented migrants, including in STEM fields such as critical technology, medical science and renewables.
  • The government is also supporting migrants with cutting-edge STEM skills through implementation of a new Skills in Demand Visa and expanding the accredited sponsor framework to include a new category for start-ups operating in a STEM‑based field who have received venture capital funding.
  • The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is taking action to improve outcomes for STEM-skilled migrants seeking to have their skills and qualifications recognised in Australia. This includes supporting Trades Recognition Australia to create better, faster outcomes through prioritised and streamlined assessments.

Shaping the future

The government remains committed to improving opportunities for all Australians to access and benefit from well-paid jobs in STEM. Guided by the review, we will continue to listen, adapt and take meaningful action to ensure that reforms are both impactful and enduring.