EPA's Global Change Research Program is assessing the potential consequences of climate change and climate variability for human health, ecosystems, and social well-being in the United States. A complete assessment must place the effects of climate change and variability into a larger context that considers other important stressors. One such stressor is human activity. Humans impose stresses on public health and ecosystems through various activities, particularly through land use choices such as road building, farming, and construction.
Humans also respond or adapt to environmental changes such as changes in climate.
The capacity for adaptation ultimately determines the true vulnerability of any natural or human system that is sensitive to climate change and climate variability. The importance of considering human dimensions when conducting assessments has been emphasized by the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the National Academy of Sciences. This RFA seeks research to support assessments of the consequences of environmental changes for society. We recognize that the development of such models will require researchers representing a variety of disciplines from the natural and social sciences to work together. As such, we consider the development of interdisciplinary communities of investigators an important collateral benefit of this multi-year RFA process.