The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has released the new National Global Change Research Plan 2012-2021: A Strategic Plan for the U. S. Global Change Research Program. This plan is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to serve as the guiding document for the USGCRP for the next decade.

The Plan’s vision is “for a Nation, globally engaged and guided by science, meeting the challenges of climate and global change.”

The Plan is focused on four strategic goals:

1. Advance Science: Promote understanding of integrated natural/human aspects of science
2. Inform Decisions: Provide scientific basis for adaptation and mitigation decisions
3. Conduct Sustained Assessments: Build assessment capacity to respond to climate change
4. Communicate and Educate: Broaden public understanding of global change

In addition to these four goals, the Plan emphasizes the importance of national and global partnerships that maximize financial investments and program results. The Plan builds on the Program’s strengths in combined observations, modeling, and data management for science that supports the requirements of society.