The Science of Regional and Global Change -- Copyright -- Acknowledgments -- Preface -- 1 At the National Leadership Level -- WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? -- KEY DECISIONS AT THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP LEVEL -- 2 At the Agency Level -- INTRODUCTION -- SCIENTIFIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES -- The Fundamental Research Agenda -- Implementing an Effective Research Agenda -- 3 Bibliography -- A. PRIMARY REFERENCES -- B. A SAMPLING OF BENCHMARK REPORTS AND RESEARCH AGENDAS -- C. OTHER NRC REPORTS RELATED TO GLOBAL CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY -- Atmospheric and Climate Variability and Change -- Behavioral, Health, and Social Dimensions -- Coastal and Ocean Studies -- Hydrology and Water Resources -- Observational and Data Systems -- Polar Science -- Sustainable Development, Global Change, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and Environmental Technology -- Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Biogeochemistry.