Interagency Cooperation The success of the USGCRP is built around the cooperation and coordination of the participating agencies. The integration of planning and program design across agencies had led to more efficient and effective implementation, such as adapting common standards and issuing of joint research announcements. Examples include:
USGCRP Joint Program in Terrestrial Ecology Research
In 1994, the USGCRP identified terrestrial ecology research as a
critical gap and requested a special budget increment. In 1995, a
joint agency request for proposals was issued through the National
Science Foundation. The Terrestrial ECOlogy Initiative (known as
TECO) supports research related to: (1) the role of terrestrial
ecosystems in the carbon, nitrogen, and related chemical cycles; (2)
the consequences of global change on ecosystems; and (3) ecosystem
feedbacks on global change. TECO is closely linked to goals of the
international IGBP Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems
Programme.
USGCRP Global Change Data and Information System
USGCRP agencies are working together to construct a Global
Change Data and Information System (GCDIS), which will provide an
infrastructure for managing the massive amounts of diverse global
change data being produced through the Program. Internet links are
available to global change databases through the GCDIS home page,
which can be accessed through the World Wide Web at: http://www.gcdis.usgcrp.gov.
USGCRP Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring
Several USGCRP agencies operate UV monitoring networks that
address concerns related to the effects of increased UV exposure on
agriculture, human health, and fish and wildlife. The networks use
different types of instruments to meet various research needs. In
1994, the USGCRP developed a plan for ensuring that the data
collected by these networks are intercalibrated and coordinated
with international efforts. During 1995, a network calibration
facility was established to accomplish this task. Interagency
networks will yield a much broader picture of UV radiation
measurements at the Earth's surface.