Education Minister Christopher Pyne has flagged that the Abbott government will axe funding for The Conversation website in next week's budget.

The Conversation, whose executive director is former Age editor Andrew Jaspan, was created in 2011 to give academics a platform to promote their research to a broader audience.

After providing $1.5 million to launch the site, Labor gave the website an extra $2 million over two years in the 2013 budget. The website was also given tax deductibility status.

"The Conversation was initiated by the previous Labor government," Mr Pyne said on Sky News on Tuesday. "It had a shelf-life of three years at which time The Conversation is meant to be self-sustaining.