Revised Research Plan for the U.s. Climate Change Science Program

Publisher Marketing: The U. S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) released its Strategic Plan in 2003. This Revised Research Plan in compliance with Section 104(a) of the Global Change Research Act of 1990, is an update to the 2003 Strategic Plan. It reflects both scientific advances since the publication of the 2003 Strategic Plan and the evolving needs of society. The update focuses on near-term (1-3 year) planning needs, and specifically addresses research plans for the period 2008 to 2010. The Revised Research Plan also represents one of the first steps in the longer-term development of the next Strategic Plan. CCSP is currently developing a process for gathering input from a wide range of stakeholder and scientific communities to inform the development of that new Strategic Plan, which will describe approaches for addressing the Nation's needs for climate change information beyond the 2010 timeframe and into the next decade. The Revised Research Plan contains an updated statement of capabilities and objectives consistent with CCSP's current Strategic Plan but reflecting both scientific progress and the Nation's evolving societal and environmental needs. It also contains examples of research progress and a discussion of the program's emerging priorities. Using the program's five strategic goals as an organizing framework, the Revised Research Plan provides a goal-by-goal overview of emerging research questions and themes, key research topics, and illustrative research plans for the years 2008 to 2010. CCSP's vision is a Nation and the global community empowered with the science-based knowledge to manage the risks and opportunities of change in the climate and related environmental systems. Its mission is to facilitate the creation and application of knowledge of the Earth's global environment through research, observations, decision support, and communication. This mission arises from the recognition that climate variability and change will continue to influence society directly and indirectly, and that in order to make informed decisions, society requires knowledge as to 1) what is changing and how; 2) what forces are causing those changes; 3) how the Earth system may change in the future and affect societies and ecosystems; 4) what parts of the Earth system are most sensitive to global change and how adaptable those parts are; and 5) how scientific knowledge can be effectively applied to manage the risks and opportunities. These are the essence of CCSP's strategic goals.