Throughout the Science for the Public Good workshop, you will be asked to help articulate a vision for how the Australian research ecosystem can best achieve impact and contribute to the public good. This first requires us to understand what public good means and what connects research to this ‘good’. We will use science as the focus, but link science with wider debates in science policy, science engagement and research impact. 

Public good in science is determined by people, through communication and engagement at the individual, community, organisational, state, national and/or international levels. What some might see as ‘good’ may be detrimental, undesirable, or even frightening to others. Only by engaging a diverse range of stakeholders can we develop a more comprehensive understanding of science for the public good and in turn, identify areas where more research and development is needed.