The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)—known as the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) from 2002–2009—is a Federal program mandated by Congress that coordinates and integrates global change research across 13 federal agencies to most effectively and efficiently serve the Nation and the world. Through interagency partnerships and collaborations with leading experts, USGCRP works to advance climate science and improve the understanding of how global change is impacting society, both today and into the future.

The vision laid out in USGCRP’s "the 2012–2021 Strategic Plan" maintains a clear emphasis on advancing global change science, but it also calls for a strengthened focus on ensuring USGCRP science informs real-world decisions and actions. USGCRP’s four strategic goals are to:
Advance Science - Advance scientific knowledge of the integrated natural and human components of the Earth system to understand climate and global change.
Inform Decisions - Provide the scientific basis to inform and enable timely decisions onadaptation and mitigation.

Conduct Sustained Assessments - Build sustained assessment capacity that improves the Nation’s ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to global change impacts and vulnerabilities.
Communicate and Educate - Advance communication and education to broaden public understanding of global change and develop the scientific workforce of the future.