The Government wants the public's help to decide which scientific challenges the country's top minds should work on solving.
An advertising campaign will be launched next month asking people what research the country should focus its funding on.
The top ten or so ideas put forward will become part of the new National Science Challenges initiative, which aims to create a set of goals for government-funded science.
During the next four years, $60 million of new funding will be provided.
The Minister for Science and Innovation, Steven Joyce, says public involvement in picking which topics should be focussed on will boost the profile of science and encourage more young people to consider a career in the industry.
