Yesterday, the government announced humanities and social sciences would no longer be supported through the Marsden Fund, which awards more than $75 million in research funding each year.
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins said the fund would now focus on core scientific research that helps economic growth and contribute to science with a purpose.
But Mr Robertson said the decision was "disastrous" and a major step backward in supporting the foundational research that drives critical social change.
"Experts in social sciences and humanities are at the forefront of work on some of the biggest issues of our time including artificial intelligence and the societal impact of climate change.
"It is a false economy to cut this support and to narrow the focus of the fund."
Research in social sciences and humanities is crucial to understanding and addressing societal issues and shaping the future.
The university would continue to do its best to support researchers across all disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences, Mr Robertson said.
University of Otago Prof Elaine Reese said cuts to research funding for social sciences and humanities were devastating.
Prof Reese received a $3 million funding boost from the fund last month.
The study that received the funding, Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start study), aimed to measure the later impact of enriched oral language - in English and te reo Māori - and self-regulation programmes in early learning settings.
"These cuts are devastating.
"Devastating for the state of scientific research in New Zealand."
She felt for those who would be affected by the cuts.
"If we hadn’t got our previous funds through the social science panel to fund basic research on child development, we wouldn’t be able to conduct the more applied research that we received funding for this year to help children’s academic achievement."
Ms Collins said the focus of the fund would shift to core science, with the humanities and social sciences panels disbanded and no longer supported.
"Real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences," she said.
Labour’s Research, Science and Innovation spokeswoman Deborah Russell said cutting humanities and social sciences from the fund jeopardised academic research in public health, nursing, law, education, public policy and Māori studies.
