Step 1: Online Survey of the Grand Challenges Document

(21 December 2009 - 21 February 2010)

The Grand Challenges document went out to the global community through an online consultation (in the form of a survey), from 21 December 2009 to 21 February 2010.

The goal is to produce a widely shared vision of the scientific priorities for meeting sustainability challenges in the coming decade. In the past, a small group of scientists would be charged with determining such priorities. But with new communication technologies we are reaching the global community—and not just researchers, but technology experts, decision-makers, and citizens.

The online survey received 192 substantive responses, of which:

• 81 % were from “individuals”
• 19 % from “organizations” (NB: the GEC community was consulted before the public consultation)

The common messages and suggested edits were:

• The need to stress the integrated system approach to 5 Challenges
• Add more information on the programmes/ESSP and ISCU (added at the end of the document)
• Challenge 4 (“Responding”) must address actions at multiple scales to enhance global sustainability (incorporated into the document)
• The need to enhance the integration of the social sciences

Other Parts of Step 1:

• Online consultation of the global scientific community on the research questions
• 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