BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS -- Executive Summary -- 1 Environmental Challenges -- SOLVING PROBLEMS -- RECOGNIZING LIMITATIONS -- COMPLEXITY, UNPREDICTABILITY, AND SURPRISE -- EPA'S RESEARCH CHALLENGE -- HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY -- SCOPE OF THIS REPORT -- 2 Improving Our Understanding of Environmental Issues -- IDENTIFYING CURRENT AND EMERGING PROBLEMS -- A FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH -- CORE RESEARCH -- Understanding Underlying Processes -- Development of Innovative Tools -- Acquisition and Dissemination of Data -- IMPLEMENTING A CORE RESEARCH PROGRAM -- 3 Achieving a Focused Research Agenda -- ANTICIPATING EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS -- IDENTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN NEED OF FOCUSED ATTENTION -- CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZING AMONG IDENTIFIED ISSUES -- DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING RISK ASSESSMENT CAPABILITIES AT EPA -- RETAINING FLEXIBILITY -- 4 EPA's Position in the Broader Environmental Research Enterprise -- EPA'S ROLE IN RESEARCH -- PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR -- STRENGTHENING SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY AT EPA -- IMPROVING COOPERATIVE DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION -- 5 Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations -- SUMMARY -- CONCLUSIONS -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- Approach to Research -- Core Research Themes -- Problem-Driven Research Themes -- References -- APPENDIXES -- APPENDIX 1 Interim Report of the Committee on Research Opportunities and Priorities for EPA -- INTRODUCTION -- ROLE OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL -- SCOPE OF INTERIM REPORT -- FUTURE GOALS FOR THIS STUDY -- ASSESSMENT OF ORD'S ''NEW BEGINNING" AND STRATEGIC PLAN -- Balance Between Long-term and Short-term Research -- Working With Others -- The Risk Paradigm -- Risk Assessment Methodology.

Near-Term Research Priorities -- Emerging Issues -- Remaining Questions -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX 2 Reports Analyzed to Identify Priority Environmental Issues -- APPENDIX 3 Biographical Sketches of Committee Members -- Staff.