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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Draft Strategic Plan

Committee to Advise the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
Division on Earth and Life Studies

Board on Environmental Change and Society
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS • 500 Fifth Street, N.W. • Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under contract number DG133R08CQ0062, Task Order #8. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor or any of its sub agencies.

International Standard Book Number -13: 978-0-309-25237-9
International Standard Book Number -10: 0-309-25237-7

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Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2012 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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COMMITTEE TO ADVISE
THE U.S. GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM

WARREN M. WASHINGTON (Chair), National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

KAI N. LEE, (Vice Chair), The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California

MARK R. ABBOTT, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

DOUG ARENT, National Energy Renewable Laboratory, Golden, Colorado

SUSAN K. AVERY, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

ROBERT E. DICKINSON, University of Texas, Austin

THOMAS DIETZ, Michigan State University, East Lansing

HENRY D. JACOBY, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

MARIA CARMEN LEMOS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

IAN ROY NOBLE, Global Adaption Institute, Vienna, Virginia

CAMILLE PARMESAN, University of Texas, Austin, Texas

KAREN C. SETO, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

KATHLEEN J. TIERNEY, University of Colorado, Boulder

CHARLES J. VOROSMARTY, City University of New York, New York

JOHN M. WALLACE, University of Washington, Seattle

GARY W. YOHE, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut

Ex-officio liaisons:

ANTHONY JANETOS, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Maryland, College Park

RICHARD H.MOSS, Joint Global Change Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park

NRC Staff:

LAURIE GELLER, Study Director

PAUL C. STERN, Study Director

DAN MUTH, Postdoctoral Fellow

RICARDO PAYNE, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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Acknowledgments

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in their review of this report:

Robert H. Corell, Global Environment and Technology Foundation, Arlington VA

Baruch Fischhoff, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Isaac Held, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Princeton, NJ

Thomas J. Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Steven C. Wofsy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Richard N. Wright, National Institute of Standards and Technology (Ret), Montgomery Village, MD

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Robert Frosch (Harvard University) and Susan Hansen (Clark University), appointed by the National Research Council, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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BOARD ON ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES AND CLIMATE

ANTONIO J. BUSALACCHI, JR. (Chair), University of Maryland, College Park

GERALD A. MEEHL (Vice Chair), National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

RICHARD CARBONE, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

KIRSTIN DOW, University of South Carolina, Columbia

GREG S. FORBES, The Weather Channel, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

LISA GODDARD, Columbia University, New York, New York

ISAAC HELD, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Princeton, New Jersey

ANTHONY JANETOS, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Maryland, College Park

HAROON S. KHESHGI, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Annandale, New Jersey

MICHAEL D. KING, University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics, Boulder, Colorado

JOHN E. KUTZBACH, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ARTHUR LEE, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California

ROBERT J. LEMPERT, The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California

ROGER B. LUKAS, University of Hawaii, Honolulu

SUMANT NIGAM, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, College Park, Maryland

RAYMOND T. PIERREHUMBERT, University of Chicago, Illinois

KIMBERLY PRATHER, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

RICH RICHELS, Electric Power Research Institute, Inc., Washington, DC

DAVID A. ROBINSON, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey

KIRK R. SMITH, University of California, Berkeley

JOHN T. SNOW, University of Oklahoma, Norman

CLAUDIA TEBALDI, Climate Central, Princeton, New Jersey

XUBIN ZENG, University of Arizona, Tucson

NRC Staff

CHRIS ELFRING, Director

EDWARD DUNLEA, Senior Program Officer

LAURIE GELLER, Senior Program Officer

MAGGIE WALSER, Program Officer

KATIE WELLER, Associate Program Officer

LAUREN BROWN, Research Associate

DAN MUTH, Postdoctoral Fellow

RITA GASKINS, Administrative Coordinator

ROB GREENWAY, Program Associate

SHELLY FREELAND, Senior Program Assistant

RICARDO PAYNE, Senior Program Assistant

AMANDA PURCELL, Senior Program Assistant

ELIZABETH FINKLEMAN, Program Assistant

GRAIG MANSFIELD, Financial Associate

APRIL MELVIN, Christine Mirazayan Science and Technology Fellow

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND SOCIETY

(formerly the ‘Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change’)

RICHARD H.MOSS (Chair), Joint Global Change Research Institute, Univ. of Maryland, College Park

ARUN AGRAWAL, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

ANTHONY BEBBINGTON, Clark University, Worsester, Massachusetts

WILLIAM CHANDLER, Transition Energy, Annapolis, Maryland

RUTH DEFRIES, Columbia University, New York, New York

KRISTIE L. EBI, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group II, Technical Support Unit, Carnegie Institution, Stanford, California

MARIA CARMEN LEMOS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

DENNIS OJIMA, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

STEPHEN POLASKY, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

J. TIMMONS ROBERTS, Center for Environmental Studies, Brown Univ., Providence, Rhode Island

JAMES L. SWEENEY, Stanford University, California

GARY W. YOHE, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut

NRC Staff

MEREDITH A. LANE, Board Director

PAUL C. STERN, Senior Scholar

ALICIA JARAMILLO-UNDERWOOD, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Draft Strategic Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13330.
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The U.S. government supports a large, diverse suite of activities that can be broadly characterized as "global change research." Such research offers a wide array of benefits to the nation, in terms of protecting public health and safety, enhancing economic strength and competitiveness, and protecting the natural systems upon which life depends. The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which coordinates the efforts of numerous agencies and departments across the federal government, was officially established in 1990 through the U.S. Global Change Research Act (GCRA). In the subsequent years, the scope, structure, and priorities of the Program have evolved, (for example, it was referred to as the Climate Change

Science Program [CCSP] for the years 2002-2008), but throughout, the Program has played an important role in shaping and coordinating our nation's global change research enterprise. This research enterprise, in turn, has played a crucial role in advancing understanding of our changing global environment and the countless ways in which human society affects and is affected by such changes.

In mid-2011, a new NRC Committee to Advise the USGCRP was formed and charged to provide a centralized source of ongoing whole-program advice to the USGCRP. The first major task of this committee was to provide a review of the USGCRP draft Strategic Plan 2012-2021 (referred to herein as "the Plan"), which was made available for public comment on September 30, 2011. A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Strategic Plan addresses an array of suggestions for improving the Plan, ranging from relatively small edits to large questions about the Program's scope, goals, and capacity to meet those goals.

The draft Plan proposes a significant broadening of the Program's scope from the form it took as the CCSP. Outlined in this report, issues of key importance are the need to identify initial steps the Program will take to actually achieve the proposed broadening of its scope, to develop critical science capacity that is now lacking, and to link the production of knowledge to its use; and the need to establish an overall governance structure that will allow the Program to move in the planned new directions.

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