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From global change science to action with social sciences

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US efforts to integrate social and biophysical sciences to address the issue of global change exist within a wider movement to understand global change as a societal challenge and to inform policy. Insights from the social sciences can help transform global change research into action.

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Figure 1: The four goals of the National Global Change Research Plan 2012-2021 (ref. 9).
Figure 2: The conceptual framework for understanding the boundary management, science integration and translational activities that connect the fundamental scientific knowledge-base with the need to support decision-making about responses to global change.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, 20460, Washington DC, USA

    C. P. Weaver & A. E. Grambsch

  2. Department of Economics, Boise State University, Boise, 83725, Idaho, USA

    S. Mooney

  3. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, 22230, Virginia, USA

    S. Mooney

  4. US Global Change Research Program, Suite 250, 1717 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, 20006, Washington DC, USA

    D. Allen & E. A. Seyller

  5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, 20910, Maryland, USA

    N. Beller-Simms & C. Nierenberg

  6. United States Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, 20240, Washington DC, USA

    T. Fish

  7. United Stated Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, 20250, Washington DC, USA

    W. Hohenstein

  8. Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions and Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 845 N Park Ave, Suite 535, Tucson, 85721, Arizona, USA

    K. Jacobs

  9. Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center/Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park, 20740, Maryland, USA

    M. A. Kenney

  10. Board on Environmental Change and Society, National Research Council, 500 Fifth St, NW, 20001, Washington DC, USA

    M. A. Lane

  11. United Stated Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, 20250, Washington DC, USA

    L. Langner

  12. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 300 E Street, SW, 20546, Washington DC, USA

    E. Larson

  13. Montana State University-Billings, Billings, 59101, Montana, USA

    D. L. McGinnis

  14. Joint Global Change Research Institute (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and University of Maryland), 5825 University Research Court, College Park, 20740, Maryland, USA

    R. H. Moss

  15. Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, 22230, Virginia, USA

    L. G. Nichols

  16. Board on Environmental Change and Society, National Research Council, 500 Fifth St, NW, 20001, Washington DC, USA

    P. C. Stern

  17. Bureau of Land Management, 20 M Street, SE (2134 LM), 20003, Washington DC, USA

    R. Winthrop

Authors
  1. C. P. Weaver
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  2. S. Mooney
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  3. D. Allen
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  4. N. Beller-Simms
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  5. T. Fish
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  6. A. E. Grambsch
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  7. W. Hohenstein
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  8. K. Jacobs
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  9. M. A. Kenney
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  10. M. A. Lane
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  11. L. Langner
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  12. E. Larson
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  13. D. L. McGinnis
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  14. R. H. Moss
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  15. L. G. Nichols
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  16. C. Nierenberg
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  17. E. A. Seyller
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  18. P. C. Stern
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  19. R. Winthrop
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Contributions

C.P.W. oversaw the project. C.P.W. and S.M. wrote the initial manuscript and oversaw comments and editing. All authors participated in the discussions and contributed comments, edits and intellectual content.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. P. Weaver.

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Weaver, C., Mooney, S., Allen, D. et al. From global change science to action with social sciences. Nature Clim Change 4, 656–659 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2319

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