What does decision support mean to the climate change research community

The US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is the focal point for federal climate change research by its 13 member agencies; as such, it sets the overarching direction and tone of climate change research throughout the climate research community. Money and time have been invested and a wide variety of decision support products have been produced; however, a number of factors have limited the achievement of these modest principles. This essay considers how the concept of decision support appears to be interpreted by CCSP, discusses barriers to progress, highlights successful programs, and suggests strategies that may lead to demonstrably more effective decision support.