The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. As the understanding of global change has evolved over the past decades and as demand for scientific information on global change has increased, the USGCRP has increasingly focused on research that can inform decisions to cope with current climate variability and change, to reduce the magnitude of future changes, and to prepare for changes projected over coming decades.


Overall, the current breadth and depth of research in these agencies is insufficient to meet the country's needs, particularly to support decision makers. This report provides a rationale for evaluating current program membership and capabilities and identifying potential new agencies and departments in the hopes that these changes will enable the program to more effectively inform the public and prepare for the future. It also offers actionable recommendations for adjustments to the methods and procedures that will allow the program to better meet its stated goals.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
Introduction
Current Participation in the Program
Opportunities for Broader Participation
Conclusions
Closing Thoughts
References
Appendix A: Statement of Task for This Report
Appendix B: Overall Charge for the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Global Change Research Program
Appendix C: Committee Member Biographies
Appendix D: List of Interagency Working Groups and Participating Agencies
Appendix E: Acronyms and Initialisms