"I don't mean to be insensitive but you have to get real about your customer," Marshall told his staff, a secret recording obtained by the ABC's Background Briefing program revealed on Sunday.

The organisation's new focus would be in line with prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's innovation and growth agenda, the group were told.

"It's a fundamental shift away from curiosity-led research toward impact," he said, adding that the "customer" − in this case the government − determined what was "public good".

"The danger of us deciding what is public good for ourselves, the risk is that we are biased," Marshall said.

"If I poll the organisation − and I did − each group fundamentally believes that what they do is public good, in the truest, purest sense of the word."