Office of the Chief Information Officer &
High Performance Computing and Communications
Peer Review Plans
Title and Description:
United States Climate Change Science Program Unified Synthesis Product
The CCSP Unified Synthesis Product will integrate and evaluate the information contained in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Products in the context of other recent climate and global change scientific studies and formal assessments.
ID: 128 Info. Type: HISA
Contact Person: Mark Vincent NOAA Locator
Estimated Dissemination Date: 4/30/2009 Actual: 6/16/2009
Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda: 6/16/2008
Estimated Peer Review Start Date: 7/17/2008
Review type: individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers: more than 10
Peer reviewers will be selected by: the agency
Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers? no
Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed? yes
How? Federal Register Notices were issued announcing a USP Public Comment period coinciding with the peer review process. Directions for submission of written comments were provided.
When? During the peer review period that started on July 17, 2008 and concluded on August 14, 2008 and during a second public comment period started on January 13, 2009 and concluded on February 27, 2009.
Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review? yes
Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review: The science of weather and climate change, the impacts of these changes within various sectors and geographic regions of the United States, knowledge about appropriate methods of assessing socio-economic and environmental adaptation and mitigation strategies, and effective communication of science to policy-makers and the public.
Comments on Peer Review:
Charge statement to the peer reviewers: http://downloads.climatescience.gov/sap/usp/prd2/usp-prd-about-this-report.pdf
Final peer review report: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/usp/default.php
Agency response: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/usp/default.php
Final assessment: http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf
This Plan has been revised following the 7/17/08 - 8/14/08 Peer Review and Public Comment period. The second public comment period was from January 13, 2009 to February 27, 2009.
The first peer review produced a large number of highly constructive suggestions for improvements in the scientific completeness and the readability of the USP. Following the completion of substantial revisions to the document based on these comments and on many other useful suggestions received from the public during the first public comment period, the second peer review and public comment period was conducted from January 13, 2009 to February 27, 2009.