There is a seamless link between research and assessments. The development of a science agenda should stimulate the science community to conduct additional research to address key issues in linking ecosystem services and human well-being. This is still a new area of research. The new research programme proposed in this repor t will provide oppor tunities for universities and other research establishment s as well as funding agencies to structure their activities in such a way as to stimulate fur ther research on the links between ecological and social systems.