An initiative of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society
The Urgency of the Moment
Climate change research is vital to predicting future environmental conditions, protecting lives and property, and helping society thrive in a changing world. Across the United States, climate assessments such as the U.S. National Climate Assessment play a critical role in supporting public and private decision-making by synthesizing and evaluating climate change research. As climate risks escalate, the need for rigorous scientific assessments has never been greater.
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) are collaborating to catalyze assessment science that advances U.S.-focused climate change research. The “U.S. Climate Collection” will synthesize critical elements of recent and emerging climate change knowledge to support future national and sub-national assessments of climate risks and solutions. This collection is not itself an assessment, but rather a compendium of research papers that will be made freely available to the public, and the global research community, and to decision-makers across public policy and industry to inform the assessment of risks and solutions to climate change.
Authors are encouraged to submit proposals for synthesis papers and other assessment-related research to the U.S. Climate Collection. Recognizing recent challenges to funding for science and climate-related research, AGU and AMS will waive or reduce appropriate publishing fees for authors with a demonstrated financial need. Organizers will perform a preliminary review, which will include determining the most appropriate journal for each submission. Papers that pass rigorous peer review will be published across AMS and AGU’s respective journals.
Lead Organizers
Funding Notice
Please note that authors with a demonstrated financial need (e.g., job loss, loss of research funding) will be eligible to have appropriate publishing fees waived or reduced. AGU and AMS will provide additional guidance on applying for fee waivers as part of the submission process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions? Find answers to common topics about the U.S. Climate Collection, from eligibility and submissions to publishing details.
Is U.S. Climate Collection intended to replace the National Climate Assessment?
No. This initiative aims to catalyze and advance synthesis science to inform our understanding of risks and solutions for U.S. climate research and assessments. This special collection will create a compilation of relevant and recent research to inform climate assessments such as, the National Climate Assessment (NCA), sub-national or sectoral climate assessments, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports. It is not a replacement or substitute for these climate assessments.
What journals might my work be published in?
All AGU and AMS journals will participate in this special collection. This includes journals such as AGU Advances, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society; Community Science, Earth’s Future, GeoHealth, the Journal of Climate; the Journal of Geophysical Research and its sub-journals, Geophysical Research Letters; and Weather, Climate, and Society. All AGU titles can be found here and all AMS journals here.
Where will U.S. Climate Collection articles be available?
Each article will be free to read on our AGU and AMS online journals platforms and will also be made available via the special collection website. Once the first articles are published, AGU and AMS will create a portal for all research that is part of the Collection. AGU and AMS media relations will actively promote portal content to outlets covering climate science research.
How can I submit my work to the U.S. Climate Collection?
I am not a researcher. Can I contribute to or support this effort?
You can spread the word by sharing our call for papers and the research published in the U.S. Climate Collection. In addition, AGU and AMS are nonprofit organizations, each recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This means that your contributions to AGU and AMS are tax-deductible to the extent permitted under applicable law. We welcome any donor support to drive this special collection, which will be free to read. If you are an institutional funder (e.g., foundation, corporation, etc.) or an individual donor interested in making a larger contribution to support this initiative, we encourage you to reach out directly to Sean Conaton at AGU and Stephanie Armstrong at AMS, for more information on how to get involved.
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