Authorities are still working out how to merge CSIRO and NICTA, leaving 200 employees with no certain future in the meantime.

Talks on the merger of Australia's peak science and IT bodies are still going after more than six months, despite CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall telling a senate estimates hearing in June that the deal was “very close”.

On Wednesday this week, a National ICT Australia (NICTA) spokesperson said still no final decision had been made.

“The proposed merger is an important milestone for digital technology research in Australia and we are fully committed to investing the necessary time and resources to ensure a smooth transition,” she told reporters.

NICTA's funding runs out in June next year, which will leave around 600 students and staff with nothing if the department can secure the merger with the CSIRO.

Dr Marshall says depending on the terms of the deal, 200 support staff could lose their jobs.

He says all staff will be consulted on the shape of the future workforce, if a merger is formally approved.

A CSIRO Staff Association spokesperson this week said that the lack of a final decision was lamking many workers apprehensive.

“[There is] no new information on potential staffing impacts but I think it's fair to say the lack of information and staff consultation is a concern,” he said.

Just after Dr Marshall's appearance at the estimates hearing, CSIRO Staff Association secretary Sam Popovski argued against job cuts or involuntary redundancies in the terms of the merger.

“Only last November we saw the loss of 25 full time equivalent positions … resulting from the federal government's deep cuts to CSIRO funding,” he said.

“The government is seeking the merger so it should be fully funded in order to retain NICTA staffing levels going into CSIRO.”

Mr Popovski has written to Dr Marshall, telling him that staff are; “extremely concerned about the lack of updated information being provided to them and the potential implications of any merged or new entity involving CSIRO and NICTA staff”.

Dr Marshall said at the senate hearing that inevitably, some staff in support roles would have to lose their jobs.

“We are working with the NICTA team to establish where the areas of overlap are and as you may imagine, there are a lot of areas of overlap in the support functions so HR, finance, marketing and so on.”

“If the merger goes ahead then obviously there will be way, way fewer job losses than if it doesn't, because the company will run out of money in the middle of next year.”

Reports say that the current merger proposal calls for a separate company to be established – with its own chief executive and board - which is part of the CSIRO, for the purposes of the merger.

“We continue to work on projects with impact for Australia while also working with each other and our stakeholders to bring about this important merger and preserve this capacity in Australia,” said the NICTA spokesperson.