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Step 1: Online Consultation
(15 July–1 September 2009)
The first consultation (15 July – 1 September 2009) asked the question:
What is the most important research question in Earth system research that needs answering in the next decade? Why?
These questions, if effectively addressed, would provide critical information for decision-makers concerned with global environmental change and human well-being. Ideally, these questions should yield results in a ~10-year time-frame. Registered users of the consultation website could post research questions, provide comments and vote on questions submitted by others.
During the six weeks of the online consultation there were
- 7,227 ‘unique’ visitors from 133 countries
- 1,016 registered users from 85 countries
- 323 research questions posted
The proposed research questions posted online formed the background for the Visioning Earth Systems Research Meeting, held in September, 2009 involving senior researchers, early-career scientists, science-policy experts and funders. The workshop resulted in the draft document ‘Earth System Science for Global Sustainability: the Grand Challenges’ that went out to the global community through an online survey (21 December 2009 – 21 February 2010).
Other Parts of Step 1:
- Visioning Earth Systems Research Meeting to process the online consultation results and produce research priorities
- Draft research priorities – Earth System Science for Global Sustainability: The Grand Challenges
- A second online consultation on the Grand Challenges document
